When the Past Begins Again
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: A/U-set between Season 2 and 3 to start. These characters are not my own; I'm just enjoying them. Life is full of "what if" situations. Andy and Sharon find themselves reflecting on the decisions they have made throughout their lives.
1. Chapter 1

A/U-set between Season 2 and 3 to start. These characters are not my own; I'm just enjoying them.

It was a lovely evening, one of the best she'd had in a very long time. Both the atmosphere and the company were perfect; looking around, she decided she might remember it as one of her very favorite evenings. Funny she would think that, as the team had worked a tough case over the past week, one that seemed like it would never end. Just as they were thinking they were closing in on a suspect, another one would turn up, almost like it was planned for them to run in circles. That happened for days, but finally, they'd closed the case earlier in morning, and now here, hours later-hours after sorting through piles of paperwork, she was enjoying herself immensely.

The atmosphere, well, she smiled as she looked around at the quaint restaurant. It was a small, bistro like restaurant serving Italian food, which, by no surprise, was one of her favorites. It always had been, but she'd been introduced to several new Italian restaurants over the past few months. She'd enjoyed everywhere they'd eaten, but this place, tonight, was her favorite already. The quaint bistro had a piano in the corner, sometimes acting as an almost piano bar even, but tonight, the music was for the main dining room, for the relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The lights were low, and the tables were adorned in red and white, but Valentine's Day had come and gone last week. The restaurant was still sporting the themed colors of the holiday, but tonight, the colors just seemed to fit the ambiance of the place. The red and white paired with the candles in the middle of each table gave it a very, almost romantic feel. That wasn't the feel Sharon was going for, though, tonight, but the place did have that vibe. No, she was here with her friend, her good friend, to enjoy a lovely dinner after a hard week of work.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked as he looked up from his salad. Both were hungry; the case had the team working almost around the clock, and now that they were finally catching up from the past week, a full meal sounded delightful.

"Hmm, I'm just enjoying this lovely setting. I had no idea they would have someone playing the piano tonight. It certainly adds to the atmosphere, much better than any atmosphere at work," she grinned.

He chuckled, "Yeah, dirt bags sort of set the wrong tone. This," he gestured around the room, "is very nice. I haven't been here in years. How did you pick this place for dinner tonight?"

"You told me it was my pick, even though the last three dinners have been my pick," she rolled her eyes. "I wanted to try somewhere new, somewhere we hadn't been. I would have picked somewhere else had I known you'd been here before."

"No, this is great," he nodded to the place. "It's probably been 20 years since I was last here, and it looks a lot different. In fact," he frowned, "I'm not even sure it's the same owners. It was Italian back then too, but I don't remember it looking anything like this. How did you even find out about this place?"

"Andrea," she nodded. "We went out let's see, two weeks ago now," she said as she tried to remember the exact date. "Oh, I know, it was the same day as your meeting, so Thursday now, two weeks ago. Somehow, we got to talking about restaurants, and she said this was her favorite. I can see why," Sharon smiled again as she continued to look around. She even closed her eyes and listened to the music, swaying slightly as it was played.

"You really are enjoying that music," he said, and she opened her eyes again. Sharon smiled at Andy, a small shrug because she was, in fact, enjoying the music.

They were interrupted as their meals were served. Sharon's eyes grew wide at the sight of her huge serving of fettuccine, and she looked across the table at Andy's very large portion of spaghetti."

"For such an extensive menu, we certainly ordered the traditional, boring items," she nodded to their plates. Andy looked at his and then at hers before he grinned.

"Spaghetti sounded good tonight, almost like comfort food. I guess I needed that after the long week," he explained.

She nodded in agreement, "I feel the same. Fettuccine felt like comfort food for me, but maybe?" she left the sentence hanging in question as she shrugged at him. He picked up on it quickly.

"Of course, we can share," he winked. "I'd like to try yours too. You know," he shook his finger as he thought about the point he was going to make, "it's very convenient we have a lot of similar taste in food. Really, we were exposed to our likenesses back at Nicole's wedding."

Sharon hummed and nodded, "That was a lovely wedding," she sighed. "See, it's a good thing I went with you. You were able to try two different types of wedding cake, something that would have been almost taboo had you not taken me with you. With me there, we tried two different flavors of cake and shared. You weren't the talk of the party for eating too much cake," she grinned and winked at him as she took another bite of her pasta.

"Yeah," he nodded as he finished chewing his bite. "About that," he wiped his mouth just as Sharon spoke again too.

"Speaking of, how are Nicole and Dean doing? I know they had a great first Christmas together with the boys, but well, anything new with them? Did they have any big Valentine's Day plans?" she grinned.

"Oh, yeah," he nodded, his mind caught off guard with her question, "Dean and the boys made dinner for Nicole," he smiled. "You can imagine how hard it is to get a sitter for Valentine's Day, and if I hadn't been working, I would have volunteered to watch the kids, but anyway, he and the boys made dinner. More like, Dean cooked, and the boys made a huge mess," Andy chuckled. "Nicole said Dean bought some plain cookies that came with frosting, you know," he gestured, "so the boys could decorate them. They were plain heart sugar cookies, and the boys had a blast putting the frosting on them. Nicole sent me a picture," he continued to laugh at the memory," and it looked like a bomb had gone off on each cookie, but it's the thought that counts. A lot of love was put into those cookies. She said it was her best Valentine's Day yet, home with all three of her guys."

Sharon smiled warmly at Andy, "That sounds lovely. I'm so happy for her, and I'm really glad to hear you two are talking and texting. I take it things are improving? Last we really talked about it, a few weeks ago, she'd agreed to bring the boys over to your house more."

He nodded, "She has been. I've been spending more time there too, and it's been good. The family counselor has helped a great deal, and that's what I wanted to discuss."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sharon's eyes got wide. "You started to say something, and we got off track. Might I just say this food is delicious," she nodded to her plate where she was devouring her dinner. "I'm really enjoying this whole evening-food, company, and atmosphere. Now," she cleared her throat, "I'm done talking; you had something to say."

"Right," Andy took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about this, and I've just not found the right time. Sharon, you know how much I've enjoyed the time we've spent together recently, right?" She nodded as he looked to her. She put her fork down to listen to him, unsure of where he was going with the conversation. "Ever since the wedding last summer, you and I have spent a lot of time together. We've had dinner each week, at least once a week," he added. "We've spent plenty of time together with Rusty, and Nicole has even had you come to the boys' parties and of course, the ballet," he nodded. "Looking back, you've been responsible for so much of the happiness I've had in my life over the last eight months or so. I don't even know what to say or how to thank you." Sharon opened her mouth almost as she was going to say something, but she closed it when she saw Andy wasn't done talking. "You've been the most amazing friend. You've encouraged me when I needed it, sometimes without even realizing you are doing so. You have accepted me, faults and all. You've been a great friend, and a great boss, making sure the lines don't cross," he grinned, "even when I might annoy you in one aspect or another. You've encouraged me to try again and again with my kids, and that's what I wanted to discuss tonight."

Andy paused, and Sharon, who was staring at him, pursed her lips and shook her head, "Andy, you give me way too much credit. You've done all that. I'm just here to listen, to be your friend."

"I appreciate that," he nodded. "Through all this, I've really been reflecting on my life and what I want form my life. I've been talking to the family counselor more, and well," he sighed and folded his hands on the table and he leaned forward, "I've made a decision."

"Okay," she said after a moment of silence that bordered on being an awkward silence. "What have you decided?"

"I've been talking to the counselor alone, with the kids, and even some with Sandra. I've decided to, well," he rolled his eyes as he corrected his statement, we've-Sandra and I-have decided to try again. You know she's been divorced again now for a couple years, and part of my irritation with the wedding was Nic wanted her ex-stepfather to walk her down the aisle. Looking back, I kinda get it. He raised her when I couldn't, but the point is, the guy isn't part of the family anymore. They divorced two years ago, and Sandra has told me that marriage fell apart because he wasn't me. I keep wondering if my romantic life is such a mess because no one has compared to Sandra. I've chased after a lot of women, all of them wrong for me, and maybe that's why. So, I've been wanting to tell you that we're going to start seeing each other again. We talked with the family counselor at the beginning of February, who advised that if we were intent on doing so, we think about it for a couple of weeks before we jumped into anything. The kids are a factor; really, there are a lot of factors, but the point is, we agreed to that. Work has been crazy, but we said we'd come back and discuss again with the family counselor. That meeting is tomorrow."

"Oh," Sharon's shock was hopefully not too evident on her face. She was shocked, floored, blind sighted, all the above at the same time, as she listened to Andy. "I see," she nodded.

"Look," he sighed as his gaze met hers, "I hope you know I don't want to hurt you."

"Andy," she waved at him, trying to hide any emotion she had, but she wasn't sure what exact emotion she was feeling, "you haven't hurt me. We're friends! Friends talk to each other, and certainly, I'm well aware of the mess you've had with your family. Wow, so you and Sandra are going to give it another try," she said as she let out a long breath. "That's some news."

He nodded, "I know, and I felt you deserved to hear it from me. I haven't even told Provenza yet," he gave her a small smile. "You've been so good to me, Sharon, a true friend, and I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted to make it clear you've done nothing wrong, that our dinners and all, well, they are stopping because of me and me alone. I want to focus on working through things with Sandra."

"I- I-," Sharon almost stuttered over the words, "I wish you the best," she gave him a warm smile. She understood complicated marriages; she was still knee-deep in one herself. Jack had blown through town the previous summer, yet again, and he had met Rusty at that point. He'd left as quickly as he'd arrived, leaving Sharon another letter she'd torn up. She'd gotten good at that, tearing up his letters; she'd done that to the last six he'd left, but she wasn't counting. Just a few days after Jack's departure, she found herself at Nicole's wedding with Andy, and since then, she'd been enjoying life again like she hadn't remembered enjoying it. She had been enjoying going to dinner with him each week, laughing as she talked to someone who wanted to listen, and complaining about parenting to someone who understood. Andy had been almost a crutch for her the last several months, she realized it, and now, that crutch was about to disappear. "Andy, I want you to be happy," she gave him a small smile.

"I want that for you too," Sharon he said quietly and looked to his half-finished plate.

"Look, I'm sorry to sort of burst the bubble here, kill the mood," he nodded around them. "I am realizing I'm a jerk, and we were having a great evening at this lovely restaurant, and I had to ruin it with my big announcement. Least I could have done was wait until we finished eating because I know we're both hungry."

Sharon glanced down to her unfinished plate; she knew she wouldn't eat anything more tonight. Her stomach was already in knots, and she still had to take Andy back to his car at work. She'd been so excited to surprise Andy with this dinner spot, she'd offered to drive. She should have realized something was off on the drive. He was quiet, at least quiet for Andy, and when they had walked in, Sharon and smiled brightly at the intimate décor, but Andy had again been quiet. At the time, she had figured it was the case-exhaustion, hunger, and the overall end of the case-but she now knew he had a lot on his mind, a big topic to discuss, and now, all she wanted to do was go home and figure out why this was bothering her so much.

"I think I'm just very tired," Sharon said at Andy's mention of neither finishing dinner. "Andy, I treasure our friendship, and I want you to be happy," she told him again.

"I feel the same, Sharon. I really do. I just have this nagging feeling that Sandra could be it for me. I have had strong relationship type feelings popping up the last few months, and that's the only way I can explain it. It's got to be linked back to Sandra. We've got to at least try," he told her.

"Well, let's get you home, then," Sharon gave a single nod. "Sounds like you have a full day with work and then your big counseling session. I hope it turns out as you want, Andy. Do you expect Sandra to come to the meeting feeling the same way?"

He nodded, "She's sent me a few texts, even though the counselor suggested we not have much contact the last couple weeks. We were told to basically evaluate our life without the other, as much as possible. I mean, we do share kids, but," he sighed, "yeah, she feels the same way."

"Let's get you out of here then. I need to get you back to your car so you can start that drive home," she nodded at him again. Nodding seemed to be the way to avoid most of the direct eye contact with him. She gestured at the waiter for the check.

"Oh, my treat, Sharon," he sighed.

"I'll get it, Andy. You've bought dinner the last few times. I can get this one, at least," she explained as she dug out her wallet.

Andy shook his head, "Look, I was the jerk who told you my big news over dinner. Please, let me," he gave her a slight frown. "I realize we aren't going to be going to our usual dinners, so it's the least I can do. Please?"

Sharon nodded as she felt herself take a gasp of breath, "Umm, thank you, then," she said. The waiter dropped the check, and before he could ask anything, Andy slipped him his credit card, giving him a look to not ask anything.

"I think I'll, just, umm," she cleared her throat and fumbled for her purse as she stood, "go and get the car. I'll let you pay, and I'll meet you out front with the car."

Sharon started to move away from the table, but put her hand on it to balance herself. Her shoe heel caught her off guard. Andy noticed and put his hand on hers, "Hey," he gave her a soft smile, "thank you for not only being a fantastic boss, but an amazing friend. I'm just so glad I'll still see you at work each day."

She cleared her throat and pulled her hand from his. The whole situation was awkward, and somehow that gestured made it worse. "I'm very thankful for our friendship, Andy, always," she smiled at him, a quick one as she nodded to the door. "I'll get the car."

Sharon moved quickly through the parking lot, but even with as quickly as she moved, Andy was waiting at the door for her when she pulled up to the entrance. He slid into the passenger seat and closed the door. It was now dark outside, dark, but the lights of the quaint little restaurant continued to shine in the darkness. Sharon turned the car toward the office and noted that suddenly, two good friends who had never had a problem filling the silence, found the silence deafening. The ride back to work was going to feel like an eternity.


	2. Chapter 2

Another day at the office had come to an end. Sharon sat at her desk, enjoying the silence. It wasn't often the team had a full week without a case, without the horrors of the world creeping into their office. They'd just finished one such week, and it felt good. The team was packing up for the evening, ready to enjoy a weekend off before starting a week of on-call status first thing Monday morning. Sharon still had paperwork to finish, not that she minded. It was easier to stay at work, to focus on work right now. She glanced around at the team; some had already left. Andy and Provenza were still finishing, and that too, was no surprise. Her second and third in command were usually the last to leave. Until last week, Andy's excuse for waiting long after Provenza had left, was always Sharon. They were friends, friends who enjoyed each other's company and often went to dinner. He'd always waited for her, something she hadn't realized how much she enjoyed and appreciated. Now, in the past week since he'd told her about trying to reconcile with Sandra, Sharon had noticed Andy would often leave with Provenza. He wasn't upset with Sharon, but staying to hang out with her wasn't really the right image if he was trying to get back together with his ex-wife. Almost on cue, Sharon noticed Andy say something to Provenza, and Provenza nodded at Andy. The two gathered their things, and both looked to Sharon's office where they each gave her a small wave. She returned it, and the two men left for the evening. Suddenly, the office was very quiet, even more than it had just been. Sharon was the last member of the team; the rest had gone home to their lives.

The past week had been somewhat of a challenge. Things with Andy weren't bad; they hadn't had a fight or anything, but he'd told her that their special friendship-the outings, dinners, endless hours talking-all of that really had to stop, or at least change if he wanted to make things work with Sandra. It had been hard to hear. Sharon missed her friend, and she'd spent most of the last week realizing just how much she had relied on Andy to be there for her.

After they'd left the restaurant, the ride to Andy's car, had been a bit awkward. She knew Andy felt it too because he had tried to make small talk with her as she drove. Neither had ever really had to make small talk; they'd easily found things to discuss, but the atmosphere had changed; the lines had shifted. He'd pointed out a billboard for a musical concert, something neither would be interested in attending, and he'd started a discussion about the younger generation and their music preferences. It was odd, something they normally wouldn't discuss, but she knew that Andy, just like Sharon, felt the tension. The difference was that he had a plan, a path he wanted to explore, and Sharon was not on it.

Over the past week, Sharon had found herself wanting to talk to Andy on many occasions, not that she was forbidden or even discouraged from speaking to him, but the habit to pick up the phone to call or text had been strong, and she'd resisted the urge each time. Sure, she still spoke to him at work, but the small jokes and the chats in her office throughout the day, had stopped, and truly, she missed them. She wasn't sure if Andy did or not; he'd been very quiet all week, going about the motions of his job and not much else. She'd noted he and Provenza appeared to have their usual banter during the day, but outside of that, he hadn't spoken to her much, nor to anyone else on the team. She wanted him to be happy, no matter what, but she wasn't sure if he was.

The idea of being happy, of what that really meant, had her reflecting on her own life. She wasn't lonely; she had three great children, even if Rusty wasn't technically her son, and she had an amazing career. She worked with a wonderful team, all of whom she could call her close friends. Her life was full, but over the past week, she felt an emptiness creep into it that she couldn't pinpoint. Now, as she looked out at her team room, she realized that they had all gone home to their families and their lives, and she needed to do the same. She sent Rusty a quick text about dinner and was surprised he replied so quickly.

"I have baked chicken in the oven. Didn't know your plans, but there's plenty," he told her.

"I'll be home soon. Looking forward to a relaxing evening with you," Sharon replied. She started to pack up her things and decided that she could easily work on her paperwork at home. Maybe it was the office that was making her feel a bit empty. It wasn't all warm and cozy like her condo, and she'd been stuck in the office a lot the last week. It wasn't like she enjoyed a murder case, but it did get her out of the office some and allowed her to focus on other things. She'd had a full week of paperwork basically, and with that realization, she decided that she just needed a long, relaxing weekend to refocus before work picked up the next week.

The weekend was just what Sharon needed. She decided that the funk she was in was related to her paperwork week at the office. By Monday morning, she was in a good mood; Sharon had relaxed all weekend. Rusty had suggested a movie, and the two had gone to see one on Saturday afternoon. They'd even spent Saturday evening grocery shopping together, something she hadn't done with him in a very long time. Sunday had been enjoyable as well. She had attended Mass and spoken to both Emily and Ricky on the phone. She and Rusty had cleaned the condo; cleaning always helped Sharon's mood. It had been a good weekend. Now, as she got her things situated in her office, she smiled as the team filed in for the morning. Her door was open, and she waved at them as they arrived. After putting up her things, Sharon ventured out of her office.

"How was your weekend?" Andy asked her when walked up and stood next to him. He was standing near Amy's desk talking to Provenza and Julio, and all the men turned toward her at the sound of her heels.

"It was nice," she nodded to the men. "Rusty and I enjoyed a quiet weekend, but we got several things done around the condo. One day Rusty will thank me for teaching him how to clean," she grinned at the men. "My credit card isn't thanking me, though, after I took Rusty grocery shopping with me."

Andy grimaced as she said that, and Julio smiled, "Ma'am, just last week, I saw him eat an entire foot-long sub sandwich for his after school snack." He shook his head in awe, "I don't know how he eats so much."

"Think that's bad, Julio," Andy nodded to add his own memory, "last time we took him out for a burger," he nodded toward Sharon, "the kid ate a triple cheeseburger, a mound of fries, and then a large milkshake. Made my stomach upset just watching him eat," he glanced at Sharon for confirmation.

She smiled and nodded at the memory. That had been just over two weeks ago, and the three had gone out after work because Rusty had done well on a math test. The burger had been his reward for working hard on a subject that was not his favorite. Andy had helped him study one evening. Sharon had tried herself, but Rusty had gotten frustrated with her. He'd listened to Andy, and it had paid off with Rusty finally understanding the math concept. "I can still smell the grease," Sharon chuckled at the memory.

A quick glance from Andy had Sharon feeling a bit awkward. It was almost as if a personal memory was wrong now, anymore, and she tried to change the subject quickly, "Andy, Julio, Lieutenant, did all of you have a good weekend?"

"I put in a new sink and toilet for my mother, Ma'am," Julio frowned. "That wasn't exactly exciting, but it did make her happy, and she won't be pestering me about doing that. I was rewarded though with her cooking," he smiled, "so, that makes it worth it."

Sharon smiled and nodded as she looked to Provenza. He just shrugged, "Friday night, Flynn and I went to the bar. He watched me have a few beers. I dodged calls from my ex's all weekend, so a pretty typical weekend," he nodded. Sharon giggled and looked to Andy.

"Ahh, yeah," he nodded. "Good weekend. Spent Friday with Provenza, and I still don't know why," he smirked at Provenza. "Then, I enjoyed family time all weekend.

"I'm, I'm glad," Sharon started to stumble over her words, but caught herself. She looked to Andy, but he had looked away himself. "I'm just going to make a cup of tea. Can I get anyone anything?" No one seemed to want or need anything, so Sharon excused herself to the break room. When she returned to the office, the rest of the team had filed in, and their day continued. It was no surprise after lunch when they caught a case, and that had them up and running.

By 6:00, they were well into the case and all assembled in the room putting together the victim's timeline. He had been shot in his home, but Major Crimes had not yet notified his family because they had been trying to find a relative.

"Looks like the only relative we can find is his brother, a Mr. Martin," Amy stated as she pulled up his information. "Oh, he owns a restaurant, one called 'Fork' here in L.A.."

Andy's head snapped up, "Sykes, what was that?"

"Ahh, 'Fork' Lieutenant," she said and looked to him. "Why?"

"The Mediterranean restaurant?" Andy asked, and at this point, the rest of the team was intrigued too.

"Yes, do you know it?" Amy asked. "From the website, it looks like a very upscale place."

"Yeah, I was there Saturday evening," he nodded. Sharon could feel eyes staring at her, just wondering if she had been there with him. It was no secret the two had enjoyed many meals together, but she hoped, at least by now, that he had told the team about the changes in his personal life. She glanced to the floor, and thankfully, before anyone could ask, Andy clarified things. "I took Sandra there. Nice place, fancy," he shrugged. "It is a little pretentious for me and very expensive, but Sandra loved everything about it."

Before anything else could be said, Sharon started issuing orders, "Andy, would you and Amy go and pick up our Mr. Martin at his restaurant? If possible, let's try to hold off on telling him about his brother until we get him here into the conference room." Andy and Amy nodded, and the two started for the door.

"Flynn," Provenza called to him and he turned, "See if you can bring back some dinner. I'll eat just about anything, but let's get some decent meat, not just all salad."

"I'm not going to try and get take-out from a guy who is involved in our case!" Andy exclaimed. "Besides, I told you that it's expensive!"

"Andy, Amy, please tell Mr. Martin that we need to speak to him regarding an urgent family matter," Sharon nodded, ending the argument. Provenza sighed. Amy and Andy returned the nod and left. Sharon turned to the team, "Please go through the home surveillance along with whatever you recovered from the crime scene. I'll be in my office when you have something."

Sharon spent over the next hour working in her office. In addition to her paperwork for the case, she placed a dinner order for the team, Chinese food, because she knew they would be hungry with the late evening. She always liked to take care of her team, and this was a simple way to do so. She looked up when she heard a familiar knock at her door and found Andy opening it.

"Hi," she said simply as he stepped into her office and closed her door.

"Hey," he nodded. "Mr. Martin is in the conference room," he gestured behind where he was standing, but Sharon hadn't noticed because her binds were closed. "Just my gut feeling, the guy is the real deal. He seems to have no idea why he's here, and he was very cooperative during the drive. I think the guy is just a victim's brother," he told her.

Sharon listened and nodded, "Okay, thank you. Let the team know they can head to the conference room. I have Chinese food coming for everyone. I'd like to speak with Mr. Martin, and since you've established a personal relationship with him, why don't you join me?"

Andy nodded and started for the door when his phone alerted him to a text. He stopped with his hand on the door and pulled his phone out. Sharon saw him frown and put it back in his pocket. He started to open the door, and his phone went off again. Andy sighed, and Sharon spoke before he could leave.

"Andy," she frowned, "is everything okay?"

"Fine," he sighed. "It's fine." His text message went off again, and Sharon heard him mumble something.

"Andy, whatever it is, please, take a moment and clear up whatever you need to do," Sharon nodded to him.

He sighed and shook his head as he dug his phone out again, "I'm sorry, Sharon. It's Sandra." He typed out a quick message and put his phone away again. Sharon stood there, lips pursed, while he finished. He didn't say anything more; he just opened the door and went back to work.

Sharon joined the team a few moments later. Whatever issue had been going on with Andy seemed to be over. He was at the board talking with Provenza about a possible lead. Sharon listened to the update, and then the team went to electronics while she and Andy walked into the conference room.

"Mr. Martin, my name is Captain Sharon Raydor, and I know you've met Lieutenant Andy Flynn already. Thank you for coming down here today. We have some questions about your brother, Travis."

"Travis," he said as he raised his eyebrows. They were all distracted when Andy's phone, which he'd put on the table, started to vibrate. He grabbed it quickly and moved it from the table. Sharon glanced at him, and as she did, she caught sight of the name on the phone as he stuffed it into his pocket. She wasn't surprised to see Sandra's name on the screen.

Sharon turned her attention back to the brother, "Mr. Travis, when was the last time you and your brother spoke?"

"We spoke two days ago. Why? What is going on right now?"he asked.

"Did anything seem off to you?" Andy asked, and Sharon noted he seemed to be focused on the case again.

"No, we talked about going to a basketball game next week if we could find the time with our schedules. I'm busy with the restaurant, and he's an investment banker. Why? Has something happened?" Mr. Martin asked, a look of panic now on his face.

Sharon gave the slight nod to Andy, a nod he understood, and Andy cleared his throat, "Mr. Martin, we are sorry to inform you your brother was found dead in his home earlier today."

Sharon remained in the room another 15 minutes while Mr. Martin processed what he had been told and continued to answer questions. She left when she agreed with Andy's initial assessment that their victim's brother was just that, the victim's brother. She joined the rest of the team in electronics while Andy finished going over some general paperwork with Mr. Martin. "I see the food arrived," she nodded at the bags of Chinese food sitting on the table behind Buzz's large work station.

"Captain, thanks for dinner," Julio nodded at her. "Taylor is still lurking around the floor, Ma'am, and we knew that the smell of food would lure him here. We needed to keep it close."

Sharon held back her grin, "Well, there should be enough for everyone, even a lurking Chief Taylor," she smiled at them. "Andy is going to finish with our victim's brother. When you finish in here, please take a few moments to eat, and then we can regroup."

The team did just that, and it was nearing 10:00 that evening before they came to any sort of stopping point for the night. Sharon sent the team home and walked into her office to gather her own things. A familiar knock on her open door had her looking up into also familiar brown eyes.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier," he frowned. "I'm sorry about my phone. I'm going to speak to Sandra about it. She should know she can't just continually call or text me, but I'll clarify it. It won't happen again. It wasn't any emergency; we had just talked about getting together this evening, and I need to clarify things with her." Andy met Sharon's gaze and gave a small smile, "Again, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Sharon said. "Thank you, Andy. You're off the clock, now, so go," she said in a light tone and gestured for him to leave.

He turned to go, but then he turned back around to her, "Okay if I walk you out?" He looked back out into the room, and the rest of the team had already left for the night. Sharon noticed that too, but knowing Andy, she wasn't' surprised he had waited to apologize until after everyone had left.

"Ahh, sure" she gave him a small smile and finished collecting her things. Andy nodded and walked to his desk to pick up his keys. Sharon met him at his desk, and the two walked quietly to the elevator. Sharon, still thinking about their conversation in her office, turned to Andy while they were waiting for the elevator. "How is everything going with Sandra?" As soon as she said it, Sharon regretted it. She and Andy were friends; it wasn't her business, what was going on in his personal life, but as she thought that, she reminded herself that friends talk to each other.

Andy waited until the elevator doors closed before he turned toward her to answer, "Things are good," he said, but to Sharon it sounded almost apprehensive. He continued, "I mean, we're in an odd situation. We know each other, but we know each other of over 30 years ago. We've changed. Situations have changed. Really, we are just trying to figure each other out again. A lot is different, and while we want to remember the best and forget the worst of each other, it's hard. It's even challenging, but we are working through it," Andy explained. Sharon listened and nodded, hoping to be supportive of her friend. Before she could comment, Andy continued, surprising Sharon because she thought he'd finished, "I just hope I'm doing enough, that I'm good enough, and well," he sighed and waved his hand, "I'm sorry to ramble."

The doors opened, and he gestured for Sharon to get off the elevator first. She nodded, playing the conversation over in her head. Andy silently walked alongside Sharon to her car, and when they reached it, she turned to him, "Thank you for the walk and the talk," she gave him a small smile.

He rolled his eyes, "Seems to me I did all the talking," he gave her a slight nod.

She looked to the floor and then back to him, "Have a good night, Andy. Be safe going home."

"You too, Sharon," he said and turned to walk to his car, parked only two spaces away.

"Andy, you don't have to be good enough," she said as she watched him approach his car, and he looked to her with an odd expression. She clarified, "You're a good man, Andy. She knows that; just be yourself. That's all you can do."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, you haven't invited Lieutenant Flynn to have dinner with us in a couple weeks now," Rusty finished chewing a fry and looked to Sharon. "How come?"

Sharon, who had her coffee cup in hand, put it down and looked to Rusty with a small shrug, "Rusty, he's busy with his own life. I know he has enjoyed eating with us very much, spending time with us after work and sometimes on the weekends, but he has a family too."

"Well, yeah," Rusty nodded, the confusion evident on his face, "but you guys are friends; he's our friend, and he had a family before and still ate with us. Did something happen? Are you like mad at him?"

Sharon shook her head, "No, it's nothing like that."

"Wait," Rusty's eyes got big, "is it like against your precious rules to like have dinner with someone who works for you? Did you get in trouble Sharon?" he grinned.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Rusty, of course not," she sighed. "Andy and I are still friends. He is just spending more time with his family. I told you he was working on that. Things haven't always been easy with his kids, and the same is true with his ex-wife. He's spending time with all of them."

"His ex-wife too?" Rusty raised an eyebrow as he processed what Sharon had said.

Sharon tried to still her nervous hands by moving her hand to the straw in her glass. She started moving it in circles as she stirred her water. Rusty watched her, and Sharon finally just told him, "Rusty, Andy told me he is working on getting back together with his ex-wife. He's hopeful they can reconcile."

"Wow, really?" Rusty asked. Sharon could tell he didn't expect that answer. "That's kind of messed up. I mean, like he's been divorced a long time. Do you think that will even work?"

Sharon gave a small shrug, "That's none of my business; I have my own marital issues," she chuckled and rolled her eyes. Rusty grinned at the mention of that, neither mentioning Jack's name, but it was clear just the thought of him brought a grin to each of them. "I just want Andy to be happy, whatever that means. I know he is working hard to restore his relationship with his whole family."

"Yeah, I hope he's happy," Rusty shrugged and took another bite of his burger. He chewed for a few moments, and then he shook his head at Sharon. "You know, I wouldn't want my real mom to get back together with any of the guys she knew. I know the lieutenant is different, but I just don't see it going well."

"We have to trust Andy knows what he is doing," Sharon smiled softly at Rusty. "You said it yourself; we are his friends, and it's our job to support him."

Sharon thought about that the next day at work as they closed out the case. She and Rusty had gone for burgers the night before after the arrest had been made, but the final paperwork still had to be filed. One of Mr. Martin's clients had shot and killed him for losing his investments. It had taken two days and some digging, but they had closed the case rather easily. Andy had been right on his initial assessment of Mr. Martin-the brother; he had been simply a victim's brother, and once the case had concluded the night before, Sharon had sent Andy and Amy back over to inform him of the outcome. Now, it was the next morning, and the team was hoping for a paperwork day to file everything from the case. She glanced out and saw Amy packing the evidence as Buzz and Mike cataloged items. Provenza, Julio, and Andy were filling out paperwork, and that reminded Sharon she had plenty herself. She re-focused and continued to work, hoping to work at least another hour before getting some lunch.

A knock at her door had her glance up, and she waved Julio in a moment later. "Ma'am, here is the last of the paperwork," he handed it to her. "I think the team is going to knock off for lunch unless you need anything else right now."

"No," Sharon smiled at him and glanced at her watch. She stood as she spoke, "I think lunch is an excellent idea. My stomach has been trying to convince me to stop for almost an hour now," she chuckled and followed Julio out into the office. "Everyone, please take a lunch break. This is a good stopping point; most of the work is done, and we can close out the rest of it after lunch."

Julio started to the break room; he often had leftovers, as did Mike. She watched Mike follow Julio. Amy always seemed to disappear over lunch. Sharon wasn't sure where she went, but she was always prompt in returning. She turned toward Provenza at the sound of his voice.

"Flynn, let's go downstairs to the food trucks," he called across the room to him. Andy held up a finger, asking him to wait, as he finished looking at his computer screen. He pressed a couple of buttons and then turned to find Sharon and Provenza watching him.

"Food truck, yeah, sure," he nodded and stood. "Better than the leftover food I have. I didn't like it the first time around. Sharon, are you coming?" Andy asked, inviting her to join them.

"No," she waved him off, "you two enjoy."

"Come on, Captain," Provenza gave her a look and picked up his white hat. "It's a nice day. You love to go outside. Besides, you're better company than just Flynn alone."

Sharon glanced to Andy, "Hey, I invited you, so don't look at me for validation," he grinned. Sharon smiled and nodded. It always amazed her how he could read her without either speaking.

"I'll grab my purse," she said, and a few minutes later the trio found themselves on the elevator. Sharon tried to steal a glance at Andy, but he met her gaze, so she asked the first thing that came to mind. "What leftovers are you avoiding?"

"Tuna casserole," he sighed.

Provenza turned to him, "I thought you hated tuna."

"I do," Andy nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "Sandra made it; it's one of her favorite dishes, and I've never liked it. She told me she hoped my opinion of it had changed," he chuckled. Andy looked to the floor, hands in his pockets, and he shook his head. "Yeah, it's still not good."

Sharon pursed her lips as she held back a smile, "I've never been a fan of it myself."

"Well, who would be?" Provenza gestured with his hands. "They say it's tuna, but it's like mystery casserole. I think it's one of those meals intended ONLY for a school cafeteria. Tuna casserole," Provenza grumbled. "Remind me not to go through your leftovers next time I'm at your house or hungry here at work."

"Well, I was trying to be kind," Andy snapped at Provenza. "Maybe I'll have her make it all the time! If it will keep you out of my leftovers, it's worth it, even if I don't eat. I told her I had tried that cleanse, and that I was eating much better. She knows I haven't been eating meat for some time, but she's even trying to convince me that some meat is good for you, you know, like grilled chicken on a salad. I'm trying to be patient because naturally, two people can have very different tastes in food, but it's driving me nuts the stuff she's making. It's just not like anything I enjoy eating or making myself."

The elevator arrived on the ground floor, and as they got off of it, Sharon smiled at Andy, "I know what you mean about having very different tastes. Maybe she will come around, or at least you two can meet in the middle. Look how far Rusty has come with his food palate," she grinned.

Andy thought a moment and chuckled. He opened the door and held it for Sharon and Provenza. Provenza put on his hat as the three stepped into the sunlight. Provenza huffed, "Captain, I'm amazed at both what he will now eat as well as what you'll eat too. You two have managed to find some sort of compromise."

Sharon tilted her head as she thought about and pointed at Provenza, "Rusty is not the first teenager I have raised. I have eaten my share of junk food over the years, Lieutenant."

He raised an eyebrow at Sharon, and Andy started to chuckle. Andy looked at Provenza, "Don't start. She's right."

"Fine, Captain," Provenza nodded, "besides burgers and pizza, name one other junk food you've enjoyed over the years. Salad is NOT junk food," he smirked.

"Nachos," Sharon replied quickly, nodding to herself for confirmation. "I love nachos, and the more cheese the better."

Provenza looked at her and then to Andy who was now laughing. He raised his eyebrows at Andy, "What's so funny, Flynn?"

"She's right," he chuckled.

"See," Sharon gestured.

"Of course, you would know," Provenza rolled his eyes.

"What?" Andy shrugged. "We've gone to the movies with Rusty a few times. Sharon always gets nachos. Rusty likes popcorn, and I didn't even realize I liked nachos until I went with them. You know me, and I don't eat much junk food, but yeah, she loves nachos, and I can kinda see why. They are pretty good, nice and salty while you watch a movie."

"Nachos," Provenza shook his head. "That's just making me hungry," the trio turned the corner. They had walked down the street from the building and were now on a side street where several food trucks were parked. "I think I'm going to get a few hot dogs," he said.

"A few?" Sharon and Andy asked at the same time. Both appeared to grimace as they looked to Provenza.

"Did I stutter?" he gave them a look, sighed, and walked toward the truck.

"What sounds good to you, Sharon?" Andy asked.

She pursed her lips as she considered her options. "I'm thinking a veggie wrap today," she pointed toward one of the food trucks. "I believe I've had their wrap before, and it was very good."

"Huh," Andy nodded. "That sounds good. I might get the same. I really had no idea what I wanted, just that I didn't want tuna again, but that sounds perfect. Let's go."

The two walked over and got in the line. It wasn't long, and they studied the menu. The both decided on the veggie wrap, but they picked different dressings to flavor the wraps. They discussed their options, but as they were about to order, Andy's phone rang. Sharon looked to him, "You go ahead," she gestured. "I'll order the food. Greek dressing, right?"

"You sure," he said, his phone still ringing. She nodded, and he gave her a small smile as he stepped away. Sharon finished ordering the food, glad for once, that she could pay for Andy's meal, a small gesture of thanks for the many meals he'd bought her over the last year. Provenza joined Sharon as she waited for the food, and she noted that he had two large boxes.

"Lieutenant, how much did you order?" her eyes grew wide as she looked to him, horrified.

"Three hot dogs, an order of fries, and a side of baked beans," he explained like it was a normal order. "I'm hungry, but I decided to get the baked beans instead of another hot dog. They aren't jumbo-sized hot dogs, Captain," he rolled his eyes as if that explained everything.

Sharon shook her head, "I'm amazed you can still eat like that, Lieutenant. Just the thought of that is giving me heartburn," she chuckled. The two looked toward Andy and grew silent. Sharon checked on the status of her order; it wasn't ready yet, and she turned back to Andy. She noticed Provenza was still watching him too.

"I'm assuming that is Sandra?" she asked. She heard Provenza sigh, confirmation of her thought.

"When was the last time you saw him worked up and gesturing like that on the phone?" he asked.

Sharon just nodded. She had seen Andy as he was now, flustered and slightly irritated, the few weeks leading up to Nicole's wedding. He appeared to be having a somewhat heated discussion on the phone. He wasn't yelling, but he appeared to be frustrated. He was using his hands a lot, something both Sharon and Provenza knew he did when he was agitated.

"How are things going?" she asked Provenza and immediately shook her head. "I'm sorry; it's none of my business."

"It's not mine either, but I can tell you I'm worried about him. I'd say the two of us are his closest friends, so maybe it is our business," Provenza told her. She calls him all the time, text message too, and she seems to have him on a short leash. We barely watch a game together; he's always going to her place for dinner. It's only been a couple of weeks, and she's occupying all his time. I'm not sure it's healthy."

Sharon listened and nodded. Her order number was called, and she retrieved the food. While they had been talking, they watched Andy end his conversation, and by the time Sharon had the food, Andy had joined them.

"Sorry about that," he told them. "Sandra wants to have a big family dinner this weekend, and I'm just not sure that's a great idea yet. Sharon, thanks for saving me and ordering my food. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing," she shook her head as the group walked back toward the building. "My treat; you've paid for more meals than I can count."

"Well, Captain," Provenza frowned at her, "had I known that, I might have gone for one of those wrap things," Provenza gestured to her. "Next time, make that clear up front." Sharon started to laugh, and Andy just gave him a look and shook his head.

"So, Flynn," Provenza asked as they approached the building, "what was decided? You having the big family reunion this weekend?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "I told Sandra it's too soon to drag the kids into this. I mean, they know we're spending time together, but last thing we need is for more people with their opinions to be involved in this now. We'll see," he sighed.

"Well, take it from one who has a lot of experience with ex-wives and even ex-wives the second time around," Provenza gave him a glare, "family always get involved. It's never the fairy tale you want. People will have opinions, and you'll hear them whether you want to or not. That's why I finally learned it's easier to just bring a new face to the table," he explained. "Yes, a completely new person, a new relationship is the way to go, at least in my experience, but what do I know?"

The three sat down for lunch together in Sharon's office. Once they finished their meals, the work day continued. It was almost the weekend now, and Sharon was looking forward to it, especially if they did not get another case before the weekend. They would be free, at least for a couple of days. Their luck didn't hold; at 10:30 on Friday evening, they were called out to a drive-by shooting. Sharon told Provenza she'd stop by the scene on her way to work, as it wasn't far off her normal route.

"Captain," Provenza greeted her as she arrived. She glanced around, and as the mother she was, she checked on everyone, naming off her team silently as she spotted them. They were all there, all working, and she looked back to Provenza.

"Lieutenant, what can you tell me?" she asked. Sharon had on her dark trench coat, slacks for the cool evening, and her heels. She walked and listened as Provenza updated her.

"Single gunshot to the chest, close range," he told her. "Looks personal, gang related maybe, even maybe drugs. Victim is still in his car, as if the shooter walked up to him."

"Any witnesses?" she asked as they arrived at the scene.

"I'm was just about to send Julio, Tao, and Buzz out to canvas the neighborhood. Flynn, any identification yet?" he asked.

Andy turned toward them; he smiled when he saw Sharon had arrived. He had been going through the car and had not noticed her yet. "No wallet; it looks like it was stolen." Sharon nodded and continued to listen to the briefing from the team. When she had finished, she told them she'd see them at the office. She asked Andy to call her on the way to the morgue where she planned to meet him. The two worked well together; that was no secret, and because she enjoyed going to the morgue as the head of the division, she often asked Andy to join her. As their friendship had grown, it had seemed like a natural thing, to have Andy join her in the morgue. No one else had a problem with it; in fact, most didn't want to be in the morgue. With their situation different now, Sharon contemplated asking someone else, but in the end, she decided that Andy was still her friend, still one of her lieutenants, and still the person she wanted with her in the morgue.

Because Sharon had personally requested Dr. Morales and he was backed up with another case, she didn't get called to the morgue until almost the morning. Dr. Morales had odd hours, and she would have understood had he not been working overnight, but he had told her in the past he often worked nights, like a bat, as he'd joked with her, telling her murders seemed to be more popular at night. Now, as she arrived at the morgue, she was surprised not to find Andy there, but she started to gown up anyway.

"Oh, hey," he said to her a couple minutes later just as she was pulling her hair out of the back of her gown. She turned to find him walking toward her holding two cups of coffee. "I was starting to drag, so I went for coffee. It might be cool by the time we finish in there," he let out a low chuckle as he handed her the steaming cup.

"Hmm, thank you," she nodded to him as she held the cup to her nose and inhaled the scent. "This will hit the spot."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he nodded to her. "I'm thinking this case is going to be open and shut, drugs all the way."

She pursed her lips, "It does seem that way. Maybe we will get lucky with an id and even possibly some priors on the victim."

Andy nodded, "Yeah, the rest of the team was still finishing. Only thing that annoys me about the case is that I was just about to go to bed. Nothing worse than not getting any rest. I'd just gotten home, and I was about to crash for the night. Doesn't help I had driven all the way home," he sighed. "Anyway, it does appear I won't have to go to that family dinner tomorrow," he grinned.

Sharon gave a half chuckle, and she met his gaze, "Relationships can be stressful; I'm well aware of that."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled.

"Ahh, Captain, Lieutenant," they turned at the sound of Dr. Morales' voice. "I'm open for business," he started to laugh, and both Sharon and Andy groaned at his odd joke. It was not even sunrise, and it had already been a long morning.

Their morning improved, hours later, when they were back at work and located surveillance tapes from a local gas station. Their victim had been spotted on the tape, and it appeared a car had followed him when he'd left the gas station. The team worked the lead, and by lunch, they had their first suspect of the case.

Sharon had watched Mike and Julio escort the suspect, a Mr. Curtis, into the interrogation room. She stood from her desk and walked toward electronics when she ran into Provenza coming toward her.

"No rush, Captain," he held up his hands. "Our lovely Mr. Curtis has already asked for his lawyer. We're going to locate one for him, either a public defender or a lawyer of his choosing" he smirked.

"Fine," she nodded. "I have plenty to do in my office. Let's offer him something to drink while we wait for the lawyer. Let me know when one has been assigned."

As she worked, the team worked; the case seemed to be shaping up, but they needed to speak to Mr. Curtis about his involvement. Sharon continued to glance up from her desk to check on things, noting the team was working the board. They kept working, as did she, and she finally noticed Andy meet her gaze and gesture for her to join them. She stood and walked into the office.

"Any updates?" she asked. "Do we have any idea when the lawyer will be here?"

"If you are talking about a lawyer for Sean Curtis," a voice said, "I'm your guy."

All eyes turned to the door. Several groans were heard, as Sharon crossed her arms and pursed her lips, "Jack, what a surprise."


	4. Chapter 4

"What? I thought you would all be happy to see me," Jack chuckled slightly, his nervous visible as he shifted from foot to foot and stuck his hand in his pocket while his other kept hold of his briefcase. "Sharon, good to see you," he smiled at her. "Team," he nodded to them, "always nice to see you too. Now, I was told my client is here and would like to speak to a lawyer."

Sharon snapped out of her dazed state; she had no idea Jack was back in town. The last she had seen him was last summer, just the week before she'd gone to Nicole's wedding with Andy. Since then, she had spent most of her free time with Andy and hadn't heard from Jack. She didn't think the kids had either; they had not mentioned it to her, but she had just assumed Jack was back in Vegas and back with some young woman he'd found there.

"Jack, if you will follow me, please," Sharon clasped her hands in front of her. She hated to pawn off Jack on the team, and she did want to get to the bottom of why HE was the lawyer standing in her office.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Sharon," he smirked and nodded to the team, a big smile on his face as he started walking toward her. Sharon met Provenza's glance and gave a very slight shake of the head to indicate she was handling things. She didn't want to look at Andy; he knew many stories about Jack, and right now, she didn't need him to get involved.

Sharon walked briskly down the hall, well aware Jack was on her heels; she just didn't want to speak to him where any of the team could hear. She knew Provenza would make sure she had a few moments of privacy. Her heels echoed in the hallway, and once she rounded the corner she turned to face him. She took her defensive stance and crossed her arms as she took in Jack. He looked good, better than he had looked on his last "visit" if it could be called that. Really, her husband dropping in shouldn't be a visit; he shouldn't be dropping in either, but that wasn't what she wanted to discuss at the moment.

"Jack," she looked him in the eye, almost surprised his eyes looked clear, "what are you doing here?"

"No greeting, Sharon? It's been months, and I don't even get a greeting from my wife?" Jack asked.

"Jack," she pursed her lips, "this is a surprise. Hello. What are you doing here?"

He nodded and let out a sigh, "Well, I'm guessing we aren't talking about just seeing my client, which is the primary reason I'm here. I'm back in town," he gestured with his arms. "Surprise."

"You came back to town for this case? Why is this client so important?" Sharon's confusion had to be evident. She had no idea what Jack's latest game was and wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"No," Jack grinned as he tilted his head back and looked to the ceiling. She heard him sigh and look at her, not upset, but clearly happy to have a moment to talk to Sharon. "I guess I should explain. I've been back in town since just after the New Year."

"January!" Sharon's eyes grew large. "Jack, you've been in town now two months, and you haven't said anything? Where are you staying? When were you going to tell me?"

"Hey, wait a minute," he nodded at her. "You can't have it both ways, Sharon," he frowned. "Last time I was here, you were trying to move me off the couch and out of the condo. You told me to get a job, talk to the kids, and find my own place, and well," he continued to frown, "I'm not happy with how things ended on that trip. Now, you're mad because I came back, am working, and I've talked to the kids. You seem almost mad I haven't let you know I was back in town, but I wanted to get settled, get back on my feet before I spoke to you. I wanted to show you I've changed."

Sharon pursed her lips again, her arms still crossed as she processed what Jack had just said, "You've been talking to the kids? They haven't mentioned it. How often, Jack?"

"Oh," he shifted, " a couple times this month. I know Emily is working on her next show. Ricky was dating some girl and broke up with her before Valentine's Day."

Sharon hummed and nodded; he had spoken to the kids. Those were current facts, and while she didn't want to get off track right now, Ricky's behavior had irritated her. She'd told him that. He'd started dating a girl he met at a New Year's Eve party and dated her until February 13 when he'd sent her a text canceling their Valentine's Day plans and ending the relationship. Sharon had chewed him out for that, telling him she expected better of him even when ending a relationship. She looked to Jack, "Why didn't I hear about your calls?"

He sighed, "Sharon, I didn't tell the kids I was back in LA. Yes, I've been talking to them, but we've mainly talked about their lives. I told them I was working, and aside from that, we didn't cover my movements." he rolled his eyes. "Like I said, I'm trying to change, but I wanted to surprise you and not have it come from them."

Sharon was stunned. She didn't know what to say, exactly. This was not what she was expecting from Jack, but she didn't want to let her surprise show, so she thought of her next question quickly. "Where are you staying, Jack? Did you rent an apartment?"

"No," he let out a long sigh, "I'm staying with a friend. He's a colleague, actually. Look, when I left here last summer, I went back to Vegas. A couple of ventures of mine didn't pan out like I wanted. Anyway, I finally decided that enough was enough. I'm a lawyer, for goodness sake, and I decided, once and for all, to come home. Sooooo," he said with an exaggerated tone, "I started calling around LA, and I finally found a job. Turns out a guy I knew years ago, a fellow lawyer I helped out of a jam when he needed it, worked at this firm. I told him I was a little low on funds, and I've been staying with him. Sharon, I wanted to prove I have changed before I told you I was back in town. I had planned on telling you in the next couple weeks. I've been in town two months now, and I'm finally putting a little money in the bank and about ready to get my own place. It feels good."

"Well, ahh, let me leave you here so you can speak to client. We are still in the middle of a murder investigation, Jack, and your client is at the top of our suspect list." Sharon was trying to regain her composure; she had been thrown a little off her game with Jack's entrance and his admission. If someone had told her Jack would show up today with this story, she wouldn't have believed them. It was hard not to react, not to look completely stunned, but regained her composure and put her hand on the door. She opened the door for him and gestured for him to enter.

"I don't need to remind you about listening, do I Sharon?" Jack winked and entered. As he walked by her, he patted her hand, still situated on the door knob. She grimaced as he touched her, and when he passed, she closed the door quickly. Sharon straightened her suit jacket and moved down the hall, away from the team. She was very thankful no one had bothered her while she was talking to Jack. Before she rejoined the team, though, she needed to do something. She walked to the end of the hall, away from anyone, and she pulled out her phone.

"Did you know your dad was back in LA and working at a firm?" Sharon typed out a quick text and sent it to both kids in a group format. She wasn't sure if either would respond right away. She knew the kids were busy and had lives. Her mind started to wander, drifting back to her conversation with Jack. She snapped her eyes back to her phone when she heard the familiar sound alerting her to a text message.

"Dad's back in LA? I spoke to him not long ago. He didn't mention it," Ricky told her. "Figured he needed something when he called, but he just asked about me." Sharon bit her lip as she read that, and she didn't have a second to wonder if Emily would reply because her text came in as she was reading Ricky's.

"Did he show up at the condo in the middle of the night again?" Emily asked. A few moments went by, and another text from Emily arrived. "Ricky, he called me too, and I had the same thoughts."

"He did not show up at the condo. I ran into him at work. He's here defending a client," she told them. "I'm glad he called you both. He seems okay. I'll keep you posted. I need to get back to work. Love you,," she told them. After the two told her the same, she ran her hands down her suit jacket and went in search of the team. She found them where she had left them by the murder board, and she noted they were back at work.

"Ahh, Captain," Provenza nodded at her when she returned. "We are just putting together our case, but as much as I hate to admit it, I am not sure our Mr. Curtis is our murderer."

Sharon raised her eyebrows and looked around to the team. They all had serious expressions on their face, and she could tell whatever they had found, it wasn't good.

"Jack's client isn't our murderer?" Sharon asked as she shook her head and sighed.

"Shocking to hear," Andy rolled his eyes. He gestured with his hands at the surveillance footage they had been watching. "The car we spotted following our victim, it's a black four-door sedan," he explained. "We caught it again at the next intersection on this new footage Buzz found, where we also have our victim's car. Problem is the black sedan turns. What are the chances," he sighed. "So, we might be looking for another black sedan, not the one belonging to Mr. Curtis."

"Okay," Sharon nodded to the team, "keep digging, and we will see what Jack gets from Mr. Curtis. The man asked for a lawyer right away, and that is never a good sign."

"And Jack came," Provenza added, "which is never a good sign, to see Jack in our office."

Sharon nodded and sighed. She turned from the team to head back toward her office, "I'll be in my office. Please keep me posted." Andy was only a few steps away, and when she started to walk by him, she gave him a small smile. He reached out and touched her elbow.

"You sure you're okay with Jack here? I am happy to help if you need me," he mirrored the small smile she had given him.

"No, but thank you," she said quietly. "Jack is my mess; I will handle him."

"Ahh, Sharon," they all turned at the sound of Jacks' voice. They found him walking toward them. Sharon schooled her features and ran her hands down her suit to straighten it again before talking to Jack. "A word, can I have a word?"

She nodded and walked toward Jack. He waited until she was almost to him and turned so the two could walk together side by side and talk, "My client didn't do it," he stated. "You're barking up the wrong tree, but he might be able to point you in the right direction say if he could get some help."

Sharon stopped and looked at Jack, "Jack, what does he want? Does he know something, or is he trying to send us on a wild goose chase?"

"He can help," Jack told her and nodded. "I suggested it might be in his best interest to cooperate. He just might have some other pending legal action he would appreciate a deal on in exchange for the help he can provide here," he gave her a pointed look.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "I'll get Andrea over here. I won't discuss anything without her here to make any of the deals. Honestly, Jack, where do you find some of these clients?"

Just gave her a quick shrug, "Hey, my firm has represented him in other matters. I'm sure you pulled his sheet; he's had his share of run-ins, but this," he pointed to the room where his client was waiting, "he didn't do."

"I'll go call Andrea," she nodded and turned to walk away.

"Oh, Sharon," Jack called to her as she was stepping away and pulling out her cell phone. She turned, and he continued, "Can we catch up after this?"

"Jack, I'm not sure that is a good idea," she sighed.

"Look, let me take you to dinner tonight. Angleo's Restaurant," he nodded, "that used to be your favorite. Let me take you there. We can talk and eat. My treat," he gave a small smile, "promise. Come on, Sharon," he sighed. "I told you I'm doing better; I'm trying."

Sharon contemplated it; she actually was thinking about going to dinner with Jack. She needed to eat. Rusty was busy with chess practice tonight. On those nights, he usually got home later because he would get so involved in playing, he would lose track of time. Jack had mentioned a restaurant she liked, but she hadn't eaten there in long time. The only thing waiting for her at home was an empty condo. Sharon looked to Jack; she looked in his eyes and saw him pleading with her.

"Fine, Jack," she gave a simple nod. "If we can wrap this up today, I will go to dinner with you, to catch up," she explained.

"Great," he nodded and smiled. "We'll wrap this up today. I know it."


	5. Chapter 5

She smoothed her hair as she looked around the restaurant trying to spot him before she had to ask for assistance. She noticed him as he waved at her, and she took a deep breath and started for the table. As she approached, she was surprised when he stood and held her chair for her, one adjacent to his.

"Sharon, good to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me," he said as he pushed in her chair and seated himself. He gave Sharon a small smile and gestured toward the table where she hadn't had a moment to glance.

"I went out on a limb and ordered you a glass of Chardonnay," he nodded to the glass in front of her. "I know you like several, but I remembered, if memory is still correct, that it was one of your favorites."

"Ahh, thank you," she said a bit surprised. She was also slightly touched, but really, she wasn't sure what she felt. She even felt like throwing back the whole glass in one swig, but she knew that wasn't the answer either. She was nervous, pensive, and on guard; dinner with Jack wasn't something to take lightly.

"Well, I'm glad the case worked out for both of us," he nodded again as the waiter walked over to their table.

"More coffee?" the waiter asked Jack before anything more about the case was discussed, and Jack nodded. He looked to Sharon, "Good evening, Ma'am. Can I get anything besides the wine? Your husband wasn't sure if you might prefer something else instead."

Sharon pursed her lips; it stung a bit hearing Jack called her husband again, but a fact was a fact. He'd been her husband the last 30 years, but the two hadn't been labeled as such by anyone for quite some time. "No," she looked to him, trying to mask any expression on her face, "the wine is fine. Thank you. Actually, could I please get a glass of water with lemon?"

"Most certainly," he nodded. "Would you like me to go over the specials?"

"I saw them at the door," Sharon nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll give you two a moment to decide, and I will be back with your water and your coffee," he nodded to each of them. When he walked away, Sharon turned back to her menu, but she felt Jack staring at her.

"You're staring," Sharon finally said as she continued to look at the menu.

"Can't help it," he sighed. "I've missed you, Sharon. I know that's my doing, but I have. I am not going to hide that."

She put down the menu and closed it. Sharon turned toward him, a frown on her face. "Jack, I am not interested in a trip down memory lane right now. I also don't want you to get some idea that ordering me a glass of wine is going to erase the last 30 years."

"I'm not trying to erase the last 30 years!" Jack said, a bit with a raised voice. He closed his eyes, and Sharon saw him catch his breath before he continued. He opened his eyes and looked at her, "I'm sorry. I just want to enjoy dinner with you, Sharon. We can talk about the kids, things like that," he gestured again with one hand.

"Okay," Sharon pursed her lips and nodded. She looked up as the waiter approached. The two were quiet as he put down their drinks and then looked at them to see if they were ready to order.

"I'll have the vegetable lasagna," Sharon gave a small smile at the waiter. "Oh," she scanned the menu quickly locating the salad dressings, "I'll have the Greek dressing please with the house salad."

Jack eyed her, and when the waiter turned to him, "I'll have the ribeye with side of pasta and French dressing for my salad, house salad as well," he told the waiter. Once the waiter left, he turned back to Sharon.

"What do you have against meat?" Jack slightly chuckled. Sharon raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm sorry?" Sharon questioned, not sure what he was asking.

"Vegetable lasagna?" Jack asked. "What's wrong with the regular one? You've never ordered that."

"Oh," she shrugged, "it just sounded good, and yes, I have ordered it in the past years, quite often in fact, recently. Believe me, I still eat plenty of meat. I just though it sounded a bit lighter, even healthier tonight."

Jack just nodded. He unfolded his napkin and put it on his lap as he turned to focus on Sharon, "So, tell me, how is Rusty?"

"Rusty?" Sharon asked. "Jack, you want to know about Rusty?"

"Of course," he smiled. "How is he?"

"How did you even know he was still living with me?" Sharon asked. "We haven't spoken since last summer."

Jack winked at her, "Well, the kids for one thing have mentioned him, but Sharon, let's not forget I know you pretty well. When I met Rusty last summer and saw how you were with him, I knew there was no way you were going to turn your back on that boy. You love him; that's easy to see. I'm assuming Rusty isn't going anywhere, at least not until he is 18."

"Hmm," Sharon's fingers fiddled with her napkin, which was also on her lap. She looked up at Jack and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do love Rusty. He's not going anywhere, at least as long as I have anything to say about it. Rust is doing well, very well," she nodded. "He's in his senior year now, but he won't graduate until the end of the summer because he was so far behind when he came to live with me. He turns 18 soon, this spring," she nodded. "I hope he will stay with me. He has a lot of potential, and we need to discuss college for him."

Jack raised his eyebrows, "College? Wow, Sharon, so you are going to help him with school?"

"Yes, I am," she stated in a very serious tone. "I have no intention of turning my back on him."

"You don't give up on people, Sharon," Jack looked to her with an encouraging smile. "That's one of the things I've always loved about you. I wasn't suggesting you turn your back on him, but financing college isn't cheap."

"No, it's not," Sharon nodded in agreement. "Something tells me Rusty won't want to jump into a four-year school right away. I can afford community college or whatever he decides. Even if he decides on a four-year-school, we have almost another year before that happens; he won't start until the winter semester, and even then, I see him staying at the condo, or so I hope. I can make it work. Rusty is worth it. He's come so far, and I just want the best for him."

"You want the best for everyone in your life, Sharon," Jack nodded in agreement.

Sharon pursed her lips and nodded in agreement, "I do, but I also know it's not always my decision; it's not my decision at all, really, at least anymore. The kids are adults, and you've made your own decisions."

"Well, yes, I haven't made good ones. I know that," he sighed.

"How long are you staying in LA this time, Jack?" Sharon folded her hands and leaned in closer on the table to almost interrogate him.

"I have no plans to leave. Look, my job is a good one. I'm making decent money, and as I told you, I'm trying to make something of myself now. I've messed around too long. You and the kids have been at the top of my list of things to fix, to improve for the future," he stated. "I'm not drinking, and I'm working. Things are looking up for me."

Their salads arrived, and as they started to eat, Sharon felt herself start to relax. This was Jack, which was yes, a good and bad thing. She knew him, again, a good and bad point. She didn't have to or want to pretend with Jack. She also didn't want to let her guard down, but as they talked, it was easy to remember some of the things she enjoyed about Jack, things she'd loved about him in the past. He was funny and charming. He started telling her some stories of cases he'd come across, of course, not giving away any of his confidentiality with that, but he had some funny stories. Sharon felt herself opening up too, telling Jack about some of the ridiculous cases that had come across her desk. By the end of the meal, Sharon wondered where the time had gone. She and Jack had been sitting, eating, and talking for almost an hour and a half. She couldn't remember the last time she'd even been in the same room with Jack for an hour and a half.

"Can I interest you in any dessert?" Jack asked as he looked to Sharon's plate where nodded to where she'd eaten everything. "Did you eat any lunch?"

"Dessert, no, I'm fine," she gave him a small smile. "Lunch, no I didn't get a moment to each lunch, so thank you for dinner. This was delicious. I haven't eaten here in years."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he smiled again. "It's been a long time since I've seen you smile, Sharon, and I'm sorry I'm a lot of the reason for that. I am trying to change. I haven't had a drink in well," he paused to think, "months."

She nodded, "Are you going to AA?"

"Nah," he waved her off and continued, "I'm not. It's not for me, but I'm doing well with staying sober. I have a lot on my plate, a lot of positives, and that is keeping me focused."

"I hope you can stay sober, Jack," Sharon sighed. "It's an addiction. Just remember that."

"Yeah, I'm reminded all the time," Jack said with a nervous chuckle. "So, can I ask a question?"

"Possibly," Sharon told him, crossing her arms.

"It didn't sound like the kids came home for Christmas. Knowing you, that's your favorite time of year, and well, what is the story? It's not like the kids to stay away or for you to allow that," he asked her.

"Oh," Sharon pursed her lips as she thought about the best way to explain, "It's somewhat complicated, but we were dealing with someone stalking Rusty."

"Stalking Rusty?" Jack raised his eyebrows, his concern evident. "Sharon are you safe?" Sharon's face was drawn to his hand which had reached for hers. She had been resting her elbows on the table and had her one had touching her wine glass. She looked to Jack, but before their eyes met, he pulled his hand back.

"Thank you for asking, Jack, but yes, we are safe. We finally caught the man, someone we tied back to the Stroh case. It's a very long story, not one to tell tonight, but he did try to kill Rusty," she said with a tear in her eye. "Thankfully, my team, they alerted me," she took a deep breath, "Andy called me just in time. I was able to save Rusty."

"Flynn," Jack raised an eyebrow. "That's a name I've heard mentioned from the kids. I asked the kids how you were doing, and his name has come up in conversation."

"Andy's a friend, Jack," Sharon sighed, waving her hand. "He's a good friend, a colleague. He's got his own mess with his ex-wife right now," she frowned and shook her head. "He's the one who figured out Rusty's stalker was in the building. Anyway," she waved her hands in the air, "I don't want to discuss that tonight. It's still fresh on my mind, and I'd like to forget it, but to answer your question, that is why the kids didn't come home. I hated it, but it was best for everyone; it kept the kids safe. Hopefully, this year, Christmas will be much different."

"I hope this year is much different, much better for you, Sharon," Jack nodded and gave her a warm smile. "Now, I know it's getting late. What do you say we get out of her? I am sure you want to get home and get some rest. I know when you have a case you don't stop until you are done."

"Jack, it's just how I am," she sighed.

"I didn't mean that as an insult," he touched her hand or almost tapped it to get her to look at him. When she did, he shrugged. "Really, Sharon, I meant that you don't stop; you do your job, and you do it well. Now, are you ready to head home?"

"Yes," she nodded. Jack started to stand, as did Sharon. He reached over to help her with her chair. "Jack," she called to him, and he turned around, "thank you for dinner. This was, well, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was nice."

"You're welcome, Sharon. I'm glad we could get together and catch up. I know we are on opposite sides of the table when we have to work together, but this was really nice. It's the nicest evening I've had in a long time," he told her. He gestured for her to walk ahead of him. Sharon did, and the two maneuvered their way through the restaurant. As they approached the door, Sharon felt Jack put his hand on her back, very lightly, just to guide her toward the door, something he'd done for years when they had been actually a married couple living together, but it almost made her jump. It felt odd, not necessarily bad, but odd. More specifically, she noted it felt foreign. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, her own husband touching her back ever so lightly, but she definitely noticed it, and it was odd. As soon as they were out the door, Sharon turned to him to get some distance.

"I'm over there," she gestured to the side lot.

"I'll walk you," he nodded, and when she started to protest, he rolled his eyes. "Sharon, I'm still your husband. I can walk you to your car, even a high-ranking police officer. I promise," he raised his hands, "no funny business. I will walk near you, and when you get to your car, I'll turn and leave."

Sharon started to say something, but then she closed her mouth and shook her head. She gave a single nod, and the two started toward Sharon's car. "It's cold tonight," she said to break the silence.

"You know, they make these things, wonderful inventions, called coats," he joked with her.

Sharon started to laugh, something she hadn't done much lately. She hadn't been laughing, and somehow in that moment, Jack knew just what to say. They reached Sharon's car, and Jack put his hands in his pockets. "Night, Sharon," he told her. "Be safe going home."

"Thank you, Jack. You too," she nodded. She opened her car and got in, all while Jack watched. When she started the car, he gave her a small wave, and he turned to walk to his. Sharon pulled out of her parking space and watched Jack in her rearview mirror. She was used to watching Jack walk out of her life, but for the first time in a long time, she didn't despise him as he walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon was getting ready for bed later that night when her phone alerted her to a text. She'd had a quiet drive home, thinking about her almost somewhat pleasant dinner with Jack. When she'd arrived home, she'd found the condo still empty, so she had taken a nice hot shower. Rusty had arrived home after that when she was making a cup of tea. The two had talked briefly, and she had decided to not mention running into Jack at that moment. She didn't think Rusty would talk to Emily and Ricky, as she'd told them through text that Jack was in town; the three weren't that close, but she wasn't ready to talk to Rusty about Jack because she wasn't sure what to say. He'd liked Jack when he'd met him last summer, and after Jack had left, Rusty had some trouble understanding the problem. Eventually, Rusty seemed to figure out that Jack had hurt Sharon, and he'd dropped it after that.

Now, as she was moving around her room, getting ready for bed, she walked over to her phone, charging on her nightstand. She had a pretty good idea Jack was behind her late-night text and was surprised to see it wasn't from Jack.

"Saw someone at dinner tonight who reminded me of you. This guy had the waitress bring him two plates of toppings. First plate wasn't enough, so he asked for more. Who does that?" Sharon read and chuckled at the smiley face. "Hope I didn't wake you with the text. Have a good night-A."

Sharon sat down on the side of her bed and laughed at the memory. Andy. He had made her laugh with just one silly memory.

 _The two had gone to one of the local diners near work one evening with Rusty after work. Rusty, of course, had been begging for burgers, and the diner nearby seemed like the best option. The three had decided on a booth, and Sharon and Rusty sat opposite Andy. Sharon had declared that a burger sounded perfect that night, a big, fat juicy burger. Andy and Rusty had both raised an eyebrow at that, but she'd told them every now and then she liked something really greasy. When the food arrived, she eyed her burger._

 _"Excuse me," Sharon said to the waitress as she started to walk away. The waitress turned back to Sharon. "I'm sorry to bother you, but could I get more of everything-lettuce, tomato, and onion-for this burger?"_

 _"Sure," the waitress said. "I'll be right back."_

 _"That is a pretty pitiful looking burger there, Sharon," Andy joked, and Rusty started to laugh._

 _"Yeah, I mean, look at mine. I got way more of all that, lettuce, tomato, and onion. It's like they were running out, Sharon, and threw what they had left on your burger."_

 _"Hmm, yes, it seems that way," she chuckled as she continued to look between her burger and Rusty's. Andy shook his head at her. Rusty's burger, the meat, was almost twice the size of Sharon's burger. His toppings looked better, and he had more of everything on his plate. Side by side, one would find it hard to believe the two burgers had come from the same restaurant._

 _"You should have gone for this veggie wrap, plenty of vegetables," Andy winked, nodding to his plate._

 _The waitress returned and dropped off a plate of toppings, and Sharon looked up to thank her. The waitress left quickly, and when Sharon actually looked at the plate, she sighed. Rusty and Andy started to laugh._

 _"I am not sure she got the memo," Andy pointed at the plate and shook his head. "Perhaps, we should call her over here and be more specific." The plate was loaded with pickles, the one thing Sharon had not asked for on her burger. The pickles were displayed on a single piece of lettuce, but nothing else. Sharon started to protest, but Andy waved the waitress back to their table._

 _"Andy, really, it's not a big deal," Sharon sighed. "I'll be fine." Rusty continued to laugh as he tried to take a bite of his burger without choking._

 _"It is a big deal, Sharon. One, your order isn't right. Two, I'm not eating until you can, and you can't eat because your order isn't correct. Hi," Andy looked up at the waitress, "perhaps, we should have clarified what my lovely friend here would like. Could you bring her more tomatoes, onion, and lettuce for her burger? She's also my boss," he whispered to the waitress, but he was saying it in a teasing tone, so Sharon could easily hear, "and I'd like to not make her mad."_

 _"Oh, yeah, sure," the waitress shrugged. "I'll be back."_

 _"Charming one," Andy winked at Sharon, and she chuckled._

 _"Thank you, Andy," Sharon smiled at him._

 _"Don't thank me yet; she could still come back with like, I don't know, a head of lettuce on a plate," he winked. "First time I ever think I had to watch someone beg for more toppings for a burger. Yeah, sure, condiments, maybe, but the toppings, that's a new one."_

 _"It's like you are creating your own veggie burger, Sharon," Rusty grinned. The table started to laugh again. The waitress reappeared and dropped off the plate. Sharon didn't even get to thank her because the waitress disappeared so quickly._

 _Sharon glanced at the plate and then to Andy. She shook her head, sighed, and closed her eyes. Andy started to laugh, "Should have gotten the veggie wrap," he winked again._

 _Sharon's new plate had a single tomato, a single piece of lettuce, and a tiny piece of onion on it. She started to look at Rusty, but both she and Rusty burst out laughing. It wasn't her night to order a burger. She sighed, "Ordering a burger seemed like such a good idea."_

Now, as she sat on the side of her bed, thinking back to that memory, she started to laugh again. It had been a memory the three had joked about repeatedly, and Andy's text was a perfect way to end her night. She picked up her phone to reply, "I still laugh about that evening. I thought of you too tonight. I had vegetable lasagna, and it was delicious. Who knew lasagna without meat could be so enjoyable?-S," she sighed it. The vegetable lasagna was a similar inside joke, one that had come from their frequent dinner dates, or rather dinner outings, together.

 _It had become standard practice to have dinner once a week, a practice that had started after Nicole's wedding. The first dinner date, that wasn't a date, had occurred two weeks after Nicole's wedding when Andy asked for help. Andy explained to her that Nicole had emailed him a lot of the digital proofs from the wedding. Nothing had been edited yet; the photographer had simply sent what he'd shot so that the family could at least view the photos, and further editing and all would still be done. It wasn't standard practice, but the photographer was Dean's friend. Nicole was anxious to see any pictures, and she'd emailed the digitals to the family._

 _"Hey," he smiled at her as he stuck is head in her door. "Listen, I know everyone is packing up for the night. Nicole just sent me all the digital photos from the wedding, and I was wondering if you would like to look at them with me? I'm horrible at picking out good photos, but I'd like to order some, you know, after her photographer cleans up everything. Interested? I like this Italian place down near the beach, and I've been craving that for a few days."_

 _"Ahhh," Sharon said and started to think. Andy jumped in before she could speak._

 _"Oh, hey, if it's the kid, I understand, and if you just don't want to eat with me, I get it. I'm not saying it's like a date or anything," he nervously chuckled._

 _"Andy," she stopped him by standing and saying his name, albeit softly, "I'd love to come to dinner. I was just trying to remember what Rusty said he had planned for tonight. He's going to a study group after chess club, so I'm off the hook at home. Dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant sounds lovely, and I would absolutely enjoy helping you look through Nicole's wedding proofs."_

 _"Great," he grinned. "I guess it's easier if we meet there. I'll send you the address on your phone."_

And, that was how their dinners had really started. Sharon smiled as she held her phone in her hand and thought back to the specific memory of the vegetable lasagna. It had come up that first dinner together, and then it had resurfaced several times after that.

 _"Isn't meat the main ingredient in lasagna?" she grinned at him after he ordered. She was enjoying the restaurant, Andy's favorite restaurant that he'd wanted to share with Sharon. He looked up, very surprised, but when he caught her smiling at him, he rolled his eyes._

 _"No, I'd like to think the whole purpose of lasagna is all the cheese. The vegetables are a perfect pairing with the cheese. You should ask any vegetarian, and I'm sure they will agree. Have you had vegetable lasagna?" he asked._

 _"No," she grinned, "like I said, meat is the main ingredient."_

 _"Well, you obviously don't know what you are missing. Once you try the vegetable lasagna, you'll never think of meat lasagna the same again," he winked and clarified again. "Once you try it, you'll never go back, Raydor."_

Her text alert went off again, and Sharon glanced down at the screen. She let out a single laugh, a loud one, and she covered her mouth. He'd made her laugh again about the silly memory.

"Do I detect a 'you were right' type of comment out of that? Could you actually just type that, 'Andy, you were right,' because that's what it sounds like you are saying," he sent to her, referring to her admitting she had not only ordered, but enjoyed vegetable lasagna for dinner.

"Hmmm, I don't think that will happen," she started to text to him. "I will say that while delicious, it still wasn't as good as your homemade version. Night, Andy," she sent.

Yes, after they had gone to dinner several times, Andy suggested Sharon come by his house one Saturday evening for dinner. He was going to be babysitting Nicole's boys all day, and he asked if Sharon would like to come by for dinner after the kids had gone home.

 _"I know we missed going to dinner this week because of our case," he'd told her, "but, if you don't mind, I'll make dinner at my house. I'm not sure I'll be up to going out to eat after a full afternoon with two little boys."_

 _"We don't have to do dinner at all, Andy," Sharon had smiled at him. The two had started the discussion on the walk from the elevator to Sharon's car that Thursday after work. Andy was going to his meeting, and Sharon was going home. She had plans the next night to see Rusty in a chess tournament, and that is how they'd arrived at discussing plans for Saturday._

 _"Yeah, well," he shrugged, "I'd enjoy the company. I mean, I've been enjoying talking to you each week, and finally, Nicole has asked me to watch the boys. I was trying to think of something fun we could do together, and they know I love to cook. So, I had the idea I'd have the boys help me make a lasagna, so really," he grinned, "you'd be helping us out. You don't want to disappoint two little boys, do you?" he winked._

 _Sharon covered her mouth as she nodded and chuckled, "That sounds very nice, and no, of course, I don't want to disappoint the boys. Is this your famous vegetable lasagna you swear is the best Italian food you've ever had?" she grinned._

 _"Don't mock it until you've tried it," he winked. "Night, Sharon," he told her, and the two went their separate ways._

A final text message came through on her phone, and she laughed again, "Told you my lasagna was good. You'll never go back to meat lasagna now that you've had mine."

Sharon shook her head, and she sent back one final text, "You and your ego, Andy," she typed. "At least I know how to deal with it and you. See you at work."

She settled in her bed after sending that, smiling at her evening. It hadn't gone at all like she had planned; it had been nice, better than she had expected. She had not only survived a dinner with Jack, she'd enjoyed it, much like old times, very, very old times. When he wanted, Jack was charming, funny, and even very handsome. He'd been all three over dinner, but that didn't erase what he'd been over the last 30 years. She looked at her text message. She had restrained herself from asking Andy about his dinner and wondered if he'd done the same with her. She had a feeling he'd eaten with Sandra again. That was more and more of a common occurrence. She was positive he had no idea she'd had dinner with Jack. None of the team knew; she hadn't told any of them. She giggled, thinking about the team. Had they any idea she'd gone to dinner with Jack, they probably would have interrupted her meal with a fake murder call-out. So, she was positive her dinner plans were unknown to anyone. Andy probably assumed she had lasagna with Rusty. Sharon looked over at her nightstand. She smiled at the picture on it, well, one of the pictures on it. She smiled at one of the three of them-Emily, Ricky, and Sharon-a photo taken outside of her parents' ski condo. It had been taken long ago, the three dressed in their full ski gear, and to this day, it was still one of her very favorite photos. She loved skiing with the kids. She picked up the photo and smiled at it. She put it back and started to get settled for bed. Before she turned off her light, her mind started to wander again, and she sat up, and she opened her nightstand. She got out of bed and pulled the photos out of the drawer and settled on the floor, with her back to her bed. She hadn't looked at these in years. Some were too painful. These were the photos with Jack, the ones from long ago. She loved looking at photos of the kids, but these, they were old photos, many from before she and Jack had even had Emily.

"Sharon, are you okay?" she heard and jumped slightly. Rusty had startled her. She sat up on her knees and turned to the doorway where Rusty was standing with a glass of water. "Sharon, are you okay? Did you fall?" he moved quickly through the room to her side. He put his glass down on the nightstand to help Sharon stand.

"Rusty, I'm fine, really," she patted his arm when he offered it to her to stand. She stood and gestured to the floor. "I didn't fall. I was looking through some old photos. I couldn't sleep, and well," she shrugged, "these were in my nightstand drawer."

Rusty frowned at the pile of pictures. He scrunched up his face as he tried to see them scattered on the floor. "Wait, is that Jack?" he bent down to look at them. Sharon bent down with him. She started to giggle at one Rusty picked up to examine.

"Yes," she shook her head, "that's Jack." Sharon sighed. It was a picture of a much younger Jack, almost black hair, and they were at the beach. He had been imitating a lifeguard pose and had a surfboard tucked under his arm. Sharon remembered that day; the two had laughed the entire time they had been at the beach, and while she was pregnant with Emily then, she wasn't showing yet, and it was one of her last favorite memories with Jack.

"He had hair, lots of it, and it's dark. It's weird to see him like that when I know him now," Rusty started to laugh. Sharon nodded.

"Yes, he did," she nodded. "Well, both Emily and Ricky have very dark hair too. Hmm, that was a fun day," she admitted.

"You were young, Sharon," Rusty nodded. "Really young, and you haven't changed much. Young, but pretty," he grinned.

"Why thank you, Rusty," she smiled. "I haven't been this old police captain forever. Yes, I was young once; Jack was too. I was pregnant with Emily in that picture, but not very far along. That was a good day."

"So, what happened?" Rusty looked to her, a look of confusion on his face.

Sharon shrugged, "Life, a messy life. Work got busy for both of us. Jack passed the bar and started working. The long hours for him were a lot, and my hours were all over the place. Emily came along, and it was even more of a struggle juggling everything. Jack started coming home later and later, using the bar as his way to decompress after a long day. I came home to Emily; she was my world. Jack and I started growing apart. He even said that one child was enough; money was still tight for us starting out. We'd bought a house, had a baby, needed a new car, and then we had the daycare cost for Emily. After Emily was born, I realized I wanted a house filled with kids, but it wasn't practical with our jobs. I loved my home life, and I loved my work life, but something had to give. Ricky came along; I was thrilled," Sharon smiled at Rusty. "Jack was feeling the stress, the weight of providing for a family, even though I was still working. Then, as it often is now, most of my paycheck went to cover daycare expenses. Jack finally just snapped. It's never one person, Rusty, but it's always a series of things both people must admit. I wasn't blameless in my marriage, but Jack is the one who left. It's not been easy."

"So, why do you keep those photos?" he nodded to them. "Even better, why do you still stay married to the guy, Sharon?"

Sharon sighed, and she shook her head, "There's no easy answer. I keep hoping things will change, that I'll get the Jack back, the one from this picture, I suppose. I hope we will both change enough that it is enough. I don't know if that's possible."

Rusty nodded, "I keep thinking my mom will change, and that she'll come back here ready to love me."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed and reached out to pull Rusty to her side. She knew he didn't like affection, but he was doing better with her. "Your mom does love you. I know it doesn't seem like it, but deep down, she does, in her own twisted way. I know that is hard to understand. Addicts often have a strange way of showing love. Just as she does love you, even if it doesn't look like it, she does. She abandoned you, but somehow, she doesn't see that, just as Jack doesn't. We are a lot alike, you and me," she squeezed his shoulder. Your mom abandoned you, and Jack abandoned me. I've told you that you have a lot in common with Emily and Ricky; this is one area. We've all dealt with abandonment. Fortunately, Emily and Ricky had me. You had no one, but we've found each other," she smiled at Rusty. "I love you, and I will never abandon you, ever."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think of it like that," he nodded. "I guess I still want my mom in my life, even if I'm cautious about it. Jack, well, that's different."

"I hope the kids still want Jack in his life too," Sharon nodded. "For me," she shrugged, "who knows. I guess I would always be worried the past would repeat itself."

"Yeah," he agreed, "plus, it's not like Jack is around here. I mean, we haven't had any late-night kitchen break-ins," he grinned.

Sharon started to laugh, and she nodded. "True, but Rusty, Jack is back in town." Sharon's moment was now. Earlier, she'd decided not to discuss Jack with Rusty yet, but she hadn't planned discussing old family photos and abandonment with Rusty either. Since the topic had come up, she decided to keep Rusty informed; the two didn't lie to each other.

"He's back in town?" Rusty frowned. "When? Did he come by the condo?"

"No, I ran into him at work. Long story, but yes, he's apparently been back in town almost two months," she explained.

"He's been here two months, and you just saw him? Wow, Sharon, crazy that you two are still married. I'm not sure if that's good or bad," he told her.

"Rusty," Sharon gave him a small smile, "I feel the same way; I'm not sure what to think of Jack, period. Just when I think I'm doing just fine, he drops back into my life."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a few days later, now a Tuesday evening. It was finally March, and Sharon hoped a new month, a month when spring was around the corner, would bring her around a corner as well. She was struggling in some areas. One area involved Jack. She hadn't heard from him since he'd taken her to dinner, which was odd. Usually, Jack was wanting something, and Sharon always seemed to be his source for whatever he needed. It wasn't that she wanted to hear from Jack, not exactly, but she kept expecting to hear from him. He was her husband, and it was odd that they were both living in the same town again and barely seeing each other. She kept waiting for Jack to do something stupid, but so far, he hadn't, and he'd kept his distance.

Another area involved Andy. She missed hanging out with him, and tonight was the perfect example. Andy had agreed to go to an art gala with her back just after Christmas. The gala, which was being held tonight, was one Sharon had been looking forward to attending-with Andy. Now, she was going alone. Andy hadn't turned her down; she was sure he had just forgotten, and she was not about to bring it up with him. It was awkward; he was "dating" his ex-wife again, and Sharon was not about to remind Andy he'd promised to go to a gala with her months ago. In a way, it was like making a prom date go with you after you'd broken up, but that was the difference. She and Andy had never dated, and they hadn't had any sort of break up. He had started dating his ex-wife, and Sharon was still his friend. She was sure that if she had asked, he would have gone with her, but she didn't want to make him feel badly about it, and she also didn't want to cause problems with Sandra. It sounded like, in the tidbits of conversation she'd heard here and there, he had plenty of problems with her. Maybe they weren't problems, exactly, but the relationship was challenging. It was challenging him, and she wasn't sure if it was healthy for him. It wasn't her place to say, and because of that, she was keeping her mouth closed.

So, here she was, getting ready after work. The gala was located downtown, near work, and it was silly for her to drive all the way home to turn around and come back to the office. So, she'd brought everything with her, and actually, she'd left her dress hanging in her car because again, she hadn't wanted to make Andy feel badly if he saw it hanging in her office. So, she'd sent the team home just after 5:00, and she'd worked in her office until 5:30 or so. At that point, she'd gone to her car and retrieved her dress and small bag containing her other essentials. Now, she was almost done getting ready. She'd spent time in the bathroom, glad that the floor was mostly empty for the day. She had it all to herself and was able to redo her hair, reapply her makeup, and change into her dress. She'd left her heels in her office, along with her other things. She just had to switch her purse to her clutch for the evening, collect her things, and she would be on her way. She double checked her appearance in the mirror. It wasn't bad for a full day of work.

For the evening, Sharon had decided on a floor-length black dress. It was one she owned, but she hadn't worn yet. She and Emily had found it in New York during her last visit, right before Rusty had started living with her. Sharon had been in New York that summer, and the dress had been one Emily spotted in a small boutique. Sharon had protested, telling Emily she didn't need anything like that, but her daughter had been convincing, just as she always was. So, Sharon had bought the dress, and now, this evening, she was glad she had. She knew she should take a picture in it and send to Emily, but that would mean explaining to her why she was attending the gala alone, and quite frankly, Sharon didn't want to do that. Rusty already had plans with Provenza, neither aware of her plans. Again, Sharon wanted to keep this to herself. She smoothed her hands over the dress. It really was lovely, all black and fitted to her figure. It had a straight cut and had off the shoulder sleeves to it, and the top half of it had a layer of lace over it that gave it a delicate look. The sleeves hit just above her elbow, and the off the shoulder look worked with her hairstyle. She had pulled her hair all to one side in a low, loose sort of ponytail that she had draped over her shoulder. She'd curled the ends of it again, and the look, well, she was happy with it. Sharon had kept her makeup light; she didn't enjoy a heavy makeup look, and she knew that she didn't want to stick out tonight. Blending in was much more her style, and knowing that, she wasn't about to overdo her makeup.

She walked back toward the office, her feet much quieter as she walked barefoot. It wasn't what she normally did, but after a full day in her work heels, her feet were tired, and she still had several hours ahead of her before she could rest them. It felt good to walk around barefoot, even if it was a bit silly and slightly unsanitary. Besides that, no one was around, just a few late-night officers, and they weren't paying attention to her or her bare feet. She just needed to get her things, and she could be on her way.

"Andy!" Sharon exclaimed. "What are you doing here, back in the office? You left almost an hour ago."

Andy turned from his desk, where she could see he was apparently looking for something. His desk top desk drawer was open, and he had been digging in it. He turned, and as he did so, his mouth dropped open.

"Sharon, wow, I mean," he shook his head and continued, "you look beautiful. Where are you going like that?"

Sharon let out a loud sigh and shook her head as she walked the rest of the way across the office until she was in front of Andy. She gave him a small smile and continued, "I'm going to a gala tonight."

Andy's eyes grew wide, and she could see him processing her statement in his head. He thought for a few moments, and then he dropped his hand to his side and let out a low groan, "It's the art gala, isn't it?" Andy shook his head and started to speak, but he didn't know what to say. He looked to Sharon, and she just shrugged.

"Yes, I'm going to that art gala, the one here downtown," she gave him a small smile.

"Why didn't you tell me, or I should say remind me? You told me about it, what just after Christmas? Sharon, I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot. I thought I put it on my calendar, and here you are ready to go," he said and shook his head again.

"Andy, it's fine," Sharon waved it off with the flick of her hand. "I'm fine going alone. I wasn't going to remind you, not when you are working on things with your ex-wife. That wouldn't have gone over well with her. Don't worry about it, please. I'm just fine."

"I am mad at myself," he admitted. "It's a lousy thing to do, Sharon, forgetting that I agreed to go with you. You asked me! I should have remembered, and I'm really mad at myself. I'd go with you now, but-" he dropped his head.

"Andy, I can go on my own, but why are you back here in the office? I waited until everyone left to get ready for the evening. Why did you come back here? I thought I had the place to myself," she teased.

He sighed again, "I left my stupid journal thing here for therapy. I have it in about 40 minutes, and there's no way I'm going to make it on time. I've left the dumb journal the last two times, and Sandra is going to kill me if I forget it again. I was supposed to pick her up so we could go together. Now, she's meeting me there, and I'm going to be late and can't find the journal. Being late irritates her as much as anything. She always says I put work before her, and tonight, I was trying to get out of here on time, which I did, but then I forgot the journal. I come back to get it, and I find out I screwed up another thing! I can't believe I forgot about the gala. Sharon, I'm really sorry. You deserve better."

"Andy," she reached out and squeezed his arm, "stop beating up yourself. We're fine; I'm not upset with you. As I said, I wasn't going to remind you about this. You have other priorities, and I have no problem going alone."

"You shouldn't have to go alone, Sharon," he sighed. "I'd really like to go with you. You do look beautiful tonight," he gave her a small smile. She blushed and looked away.

"Hmm, we it sounds like we both need to get going. I don't want to keep you. Did you find your journal for therapy?" she asked.

"No, not yet," he said and started digging in his drawer again. Sharon moved to his side.

"I can help. I'll check the other drawer," she told him.

"Thanks," he sighed. "I hate this. Therapy with the kids was fine, but then she added these weekly sessions with just us. I'm really not happy with those. Found it," he said as he yanked on the drawer. It appeared the journal was stuck in the back of it.

"Here," she gestured to him, "my hand is smaller. I'll get it." Sharon moved in front of him to pull out the journal. It took a couple of quick tugs, and she freed the journal from where it had been stuck in the desk drawer. "There you go," she smiled as she handed it to him.

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver. A lifesaver in that dress," he chuckled. "You look really nice, and I like that perfume."

"Thank you," she nodded. "Someone with very good taste picked it out, the perfume, I mean." The perfume had been a Christmas gift from Andy. It had a story with it too. She had gone to Andy to ask for his help with Rusty. Rusty had needed a few clothing items, and Andy had tagged along to offer some "guy advice" for Rusty. During the shopping outing, Sharon had told Andy that Rusty had asked for cologne for Christmas, but he didn't know what to buy. So, Sharon had asked Andy for some help in that, and in doing so, he'd started playing around with the women's perfume scents. Unknown to Sharon, Andy had come back and purchased one that he'd sprayed on her that both ended up liking. It had been another fun outing, one that both had left the store smelling like a perfume shop, but they'd ultimately helped Rusty find something for himself. Sharon really liked the perfume, mainly because in the last few years, she hadn't worn anything new. Her old perfume was still a brand Jack had bought her years ago, and it was nice to have something new. Andy had been hesitant to give it to her at Christmas.

 _"I'm a little nervous to give this to you," he'd told her two days before Christmas when the team was wrapping up for a couple of days off work. Sharon looked up from her desk and frowned at him._

 _"Andy, you didn't need to get me a Christmas present," she shook her head at the sight of the nicely wrapped gift._

 _"Oh, just accept it," he rolled his eyes. "I had it gift wrapped for you. Come on," he gestured the box toward her. "Everyone likes gifts, and like I said, take it now because I'm nervous to give it to you."_

 _Sharon rolled her eyes, but she took the gift. She looked at him, "Why are you nervous?"_

 _"I thought it was a great idea at the time, but now, I'm worried it's too personal for a friend," he admitted. Sharon raised her eyebrows at him._

 _"So, this isn't a gift for the boss?" she enunciated the word and gave him an almost flirty look._

 _"Ahh," he put his hand to his mouth, "probably not, but it's not inappropriate or anything," he chuckled. "I just wouldn't get the same gift for the rest of the team. Provenza," he shook his head and laughed, "he'd have a cow with this."_

 _Sharon looked to him with a curious glance, "I'm almost afraid to open it."_

 _"Just know that it's not to be anything other than a gift from a friend. It reminded me of a fun time," he told her._

 _"Your gift is at home," she admitted._

 _"You don't have to cover so that you can go out and buy me a gift," he teased._

 _"I most certainly am not doing that!" Sharon exclaimed and looked to Andy, irritated, to see he was smiling at her. She scowled at him. "I have it at home, just for your information. I was hoping you might stop by sometime on Christmas, even after you leave Nicole's house. It's just Rusty and me this year, and I know you're worried about the stalker and all. I was planning to give you your gift then."_

 _"Says the lady who argued I shouldn't give her a gift," Andy rolled his eyes. "I'll stop by, but just open it," he gestured at the gift._

 _"Maybe I should wait," she offered. "We could open them together."_

 _"Just open it," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice. "I'm dying here, worried it's too much."_

 _Sharon sighed and opened the gift. She smiled up at him when she saw it was the perfume they'd liked at the store. "You remembered," she smiled and nodded._

 _"How could I forget?" he said casually as he shrugged at her. "You and I both smelled like it for at least the next two days. Remember, Buzz couldn't stop sneezing? No matter what, we seemed to smell of that stuff," he chuckled._

 _"Thank you; this is a very lovely gift. I need new perfume, and this is just right," she smiled brightly at him. She'd worn it on Christmas when he came over for his own gift._

So, now, Sharon was feeling a bit awkward standing so close to Andy wearing a perfume he'd given to her. She stepped back and cleared her throat.

"Hey, thanks for the help," he said before she could speak. "I'm going to make it up to you for spacing out on the gala."

"Andy, please," Sharon shook her head. "It's not necessary."

"Maybe not to you, but to me, it's a big deal. At least let me walk you out," he pleaded.

"I suppose we are going the same way," she said as she pursed her lips. "Let me get my things." Before she moved, Andy cleared his voice and nodded to her.

With Sharon standing next to him, he frowned as he looked at her, "You're shorter. Do you have on shoes, Sharon? You snuck up on me, and normally, I'm a bloodhound with you coming down any hall. I hear those shoes of yours clicking away."

Sharon blushed and turned away slightly. She shook her head, "Hmm, you are a good detective. Guilty," she held out a foot. "My feet were killing me, and I gave them a slight reprieve while I got ready."

Andy made a face at her, "I almost can't believe I know you, Sharon, walking around barefoot at work," he said and then grinned as he winked at her. She chuckled slightly.

"I'll get my things; it sounds like you are late," she said. Sharon moved quickly, even putting on her shoes as Andy waited for her. She walked out, and he put out his arm to escort her properly through the office.

"I can't take you, but I'll at least walk you out properly," he smiled. Sharon nodded, and Andy reached over to take her bag as well. They maintained a comfortable silence in the elevator, and when they arrived in the parking garage, Sharon turned to him before he could walk her to her car.

"I'll be fine. You need to get going. I'm sure Sandra will understand," she told him and pulled at her bag on his shoulder. "Andy, you are such a good man, and I am sure she sees that."

"Yeah, I'm not so sure," he sighed. "It's definitely not some fairy tale people see in movies, but I have to at least try. Be safe tonight, Sharon, and I'm going to figure out a way to make this up to you. You went to family events for me, and then I space out for you."

"It's fine, Andy. You should be with your family," she shrugged. "Family comes first. I need to remember that too."


	8. Chapter 8

She enjoyed the gala. That was about all she could say if someone had asked because while lovely, it would have been more enjoyable to go with someone. Andy would have been the perfect companion; they always had fun together. She could relax around him and laugh. She could be herself, and that wasn't a feeling she had with just anyone. Sharon had spoken to many at the gala. She was well-known in the city, both from her job and her association with Jack, which was good and bad. As she got ready for bed, she thought back to one encounter she couldn't shake.

 _"Sharon Raydor, any relation to Jack Raydor? He's a colleague of mine," she'd learned in one of her conversations earlier that night. "I'm sorry; I'm Scott Thomas," he extended his hand. Sharon had been pulled into a circle of other attorneys from the city. She knew several from working a number of cases, and as she was introduced around, she found herself being questioned by this new face._

 _"Ahh, yes," she nodded at him. "I'm married to Jack." She looked down, hoping that he, or anyone else, would question why she wasn't wearing her wedding rings. She hadn't worn them in years, but things with Jack hadn't been good in years either._

 _"Oh," he raised his eyebrows and looked around. "Where is Jack? He's a funny guy. I've really enjoyed working with him. He's a sharp one, great attorney," he nodded, still looking for Jack._

 _"Jack isn't here tonight," Sharon said simply to end any conversation about him. "I came from work," she nodded to him, as if that really explained why Jack wasn't there. The man seemed to buy it._

 _"Yeah, he's working like a dog," he shook his head. "I suppose when you start at a new firm, it's to be expected, but great guy. What do you do?" The man hadn't been paying attention as Sharon had initially been introduced, but also in his defense, he didn't know Sharon, while most in the group did._

 _"I'm a police captain, Major Crimes, LAPD," she noted._

 _"Wow, Jack never mentioned that. Impressive," he said. "I'll be sure to mention running into you when I see Jack tomorrow."_

 _"Hmm," Sharon just nodded, "would you excuse me? I need to check in with work," she nodded to the group to move away from them. She didn't mind Jack's name coming up in conversation, but she didn't really want to focus on him during the evening._

The problem was now that she was home, she WAS focusing on Jack and wondering if his colleague had been correct about how hard Jack was working. Was it true? Was Jack trying to do better? Sharon knew she was still married to him, and she was one who believed in forgiveness and second chances, even 20th chances if she had to really count with Jack. Maybe, finally, he was changing. She pulled out her phone and finally did what she'd thought about doing for the past hour. She sent him a simple text.

"Would you like to come over for dinner on Friday night? We didn't really finish catching up the other night at dinner."

She put the phone down and walked away, worried that she'd done something dumb and would regret it. The text was sent now; Jack might say no. He might even ignore it; he had been ignoring Sharon for years, decades even. He could certainly ignore a simple text from her. She stood and walked to her bathroom, intent on brushing her teeth. She walked to her sink and had her toothbrush in hand when she heard her text message ding. She ran into the room, like a kid racing to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

"I'd love to come to dinner. Will Rusty be there?" Jack asked of Sharon.

She sighed and shook her head; she wasn't sure how to take that, but she answered truthfully, "Yes, Jack. Rusty will be here. He lives here."

She stood there and tapped her toothbrush on her leg. It was still in her other hand, and she waited for him to reply. The reply came quickly, putting her out of her misery.

"Great. I'm looking forward to seeing Rusty. It's been too long. Just let me know what time; I'm really looking forward to dinner. Night, Sharon," he told her.

Sharon let out her breath, one she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Great, she'd invited Jack to dinner, and now, she'd involved Rusty. She definitely was second-guessing that decision, but it was too late. She could always come up with a work excuse, but knowing Jack as she very well did, he'd just show up at work with dinner or something, and she didn't want that. For now, she didn't want anyone at work to know anything about her personal life, especially one that involved Jack. She sighed and threw her phone on her bed and returned to the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth. It had been quite the night. She'd run into Andy after work, the one thing she wanted to avoid. He'd been kind and upset that he'd forgotten about their outing. She'd attended the gala alone, and it had been fine. Sadly, she hadn't met any exciting men, just people who seemed to know Jack, and maybe that was why she had herself thinking of Jack. She'd ended the night by inviting him, her estranged husband to dinner, where she would share it with him and her foster son. Life was odd sometimes.

On Wednesday morning, Sharon found a card and a box of candy waiting on her desk. She glanced out to the room; the team was mostly there, but by the handwriting on the card, she knew the source of the gift. Andy had left it for her, and she put away her things and closed the blinds before she sat down to read the card. When she was situated, she opened it.

"Sharon, I just wanted to apologize again for spacing out about the gala. I still feel terrible, and I wanted to again, thank you for being an amazing friend. Not only did you take my absence with grace, you stopped to help me find my stupid journal. I'm so grateful to have you in my life. The candy, which I know is your favorite kind, can't make up for my stupidity, but I hope, at least, it gives you something to smile about and enjoy.-Andy," he signed it, and her eyes drifted to the bottom where he'd added another line, "P.S.-I would have much rather gone to the gala. The counseling session was painful." Sharon sighed as she read that; she hated that for Andy and from what she'd heard it sounded like things were strained with Sandra. She wanted the best for him, whatever that was. She looked to the chocolates. They were her favorite, a special treat, because they were horribly expensive truffles. Oh, she rarely bought them, and she wasn't sure the last time she'd enjoyed them. She put the card and candy away, stood, and she made her way to the door to catch up with the team. Sharon made a point of walking by Andy's desk and squeezing his shoulder as she did to let him know, in their silent way, that she appreciated the gesture. He looked up and nodded, the gesture understood.

The rest of the week was rather quiet for Sharon. She intended it to be that way, to keep the team out of her personal life, and she only told Rusty about their dinner plans Friday morning. She didn't want him saying anything, even if unintentional. So, before he left for the day, she explained the evening plans.

"Rusty, what time will you be home for dinner tonight?" Sharon asked and looked to Rusty for an answer. He was putting on his backpack, ready for another day at school.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess by 6:00. I've got chess club after school, ever Wednesday and Friday. Why?"

Sharon just shrugged, "I wanted to know about dinner. I invited Jack over to eat tonight."

"Jack, really?" Rusty raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Well," she said, dragging out the word, "he is my husband, Rusty. He's been back in town, and we have a lot to discuss. Are you okay with Jack coming to dinner?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, sure, I guess. I liked him, at least until you told me all the bad stuff he did to you and like leaving you and Emily and Ricky. If you are cool with Jack coming over, yeah, whatever. I've had my share of shady family members," he grinned, "and I'm not going to judge Jack if you want to invite him to dinner."

"Good," she nodded. "Thank you, Rusty. He's very excited to see you. He specifically asked if you would be at dinner tonight."

"He did?" Rusty looked to her, surprised to hear that.

"Mmm," Sharon nodded as she sipped on her coffee. "He did. I was thinking about baking some pork chops tonight. How does that sound?"

"Awesome," Rusty smiled. "Those are one of my favorite things you make when you cook."

"Haha, funny guy," she rolled her eyes. "I know I don't get to cook often, but I do enjoy it. Pork chops are one of my favorites. I know you like them too, and they were always one of Jack's favorites."

"Pork chops it is," Rusty grabbed his last book on the counter and gave her a quick wave. "See you at dinner, Sharon."

"Have a great day, Rusty," she nodded. "Be safe."

Sharon continued to think of what she'd told Rusty throughout her day, the comment to "be safe" knowing that while she wanted Rusty to be physically safe, she, herself, was thinking of her emotional safety so to speak. Inviting Jack for dinner was opening her up to him, more than she had in years, and she wasn't sure that was a good idea; she wasn't sure it was a bad idea either, but she did know that she needed to keep up her guard and proceed with caution. Jack appeared to be trying, and because of that, she could do the same. She didn't hate the man; she did hate what he'd done to her over the years, but she also wasn't sure she still loved the man. She'd loved him years ago, but over time, the love and hate had blurred, and right now, she wasn't sure what she felt. She did feel people deserved another chance, especially if they were trying. Jack appeared to be trying.

Sharon made sure to leave work on time that evening, which wasn't hard. The team was not in the middle of a case, something she knew when suggesting the night for dinner. The team was starting their on-call schedule Sunday evening, and knowing that, she had time to get out of work on time, stop at the grocery store, and get dinner started before Jack arrived at 7:30. She's suggested a later dinner knowing Rusty was always in and out, and she also wasn't sure about what might happen at work. Thankfully, she'd had a calm day and had dinner well underway by 6:45. Rusty arrived just before 7:00, and she spoke with him before he disappeared to his room.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked as she worked on dinner. She had a very "Jack" dinner underway. Baked pork chops were in the oven, potatoes were on the stove, as she planned to mash them later, and she had asparagus ready to go in the oven as it got closer to dinner.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I got an 85 on my math test," he shrugged. "I wanted to do better, but it's not horrible."

Sharon gave him a sad smile and nodded, "I'm sorry. I know that math has been a bit of a struggle this year. I'm proud of you for working so hard."

He shrugged, "Yeah, just stinks. I really thought I did better. It's over. I'm going to go and chill in my room before dinner. Wait," he stopped and looked at her, "is Jack still coming?"

"He is," Sharon nodded. "I'm planning dinner for 7:30."

"Cool," Rusty told her. "I'll be in my room. Let me know when Jack gets here, and if you need me to like kick him out, I'm your guy."

Sharon started to laugh at the thought of Rusty, her son-even if not legally-offering to run to her rescue around Jack. Rusty grinned at it too, as he thought more about it. "Thank you, Rusty," she nodded. "I hope the evening is not that bad."

Rusty raised his eyebrows at that, collected his backpack, and he started down the hall. Sharon took a moment to look over her own appearance. Rusty hadn't commented, which was fine, good, actually. Sharon wasn't trying to make some big impression, but she did want to look nice. After all, she was still married to the man and had been for decades now. For the evening, she had picked one of her favorite comfort outfits. Just as she was making Jack's favorite comfort food, she was finding comfort in her attire. She had on black leggings that she'd paired with a long cream-colored sweater. It appeared to have a white dress shirt under the sweater, but it was actually just the sweater with the shirt look sewn into the sweater. She'd added a favorite long silver necklace, and she'd kept her makeup light for the evening and had on simple black flats for comfort. Early in their marriage, Jack seemed to prefer a heavier makeup look, but Sharon liked herself with less makeup. She'd worn almost none when the kids were little; it just took too much time, and she was a single parent. As she'd aged, she'd adapted to that, adding makeup that helped tone her face appropriately, and now, she liked the balance she'd found. She wasn't about to change it for Jack, so she'd done her normal routine, keeping her makeup light. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. A quick glance at her watch told her she'd been daydreaming for awhile, as it was now 7:15.

"Jack, hi," Sharon gave a small smile as she opened the door. She was pleasantly surprised to see Jack had also changed from work. He was wearing dark jeans, loafers, and a navy-blue button-down shirt. Jack looked good, and that was progress, as he'd had several years recently where he hadn't looked good.

"Sharon, you look lovely," he returned the smile. Sharon stepped aside so he could enter, and Jack walked in and handed her a bag. "I saw this in a store the other day when I was leaving a client's business. It reminded me of you, of something you had once, and I wanted to get it for you."

Sharon closed the door and looked to Jack, her curiosity evident. She nodded to him, took the bag, and she gestured for him to head toward the kitchen.

"Thank you," she nodded. "Let me open this on the kitchen counter. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Ahh, maybe a cup of coffee if it's not too much trouble?" he asked.

"No," she smiled warmly and shook her head. "It's no trouble. I am going to have just some juice right now, cranberry juice. Would you like any?"

He turned up his nose, "No, thanks though. Not a fan."

She nodded, "I've started drinking it from work. It's always in the refrigerator." Sharon didn't want to admit that Andy was the man behind the juice. Yes, she'd started drinking it at work, but he'd introduced her to it, now long ago. He often did a cranberry juice mix, but both he and Sharon enjoyed it by itself. She now kept it as a standard item in her home, and Andy had always enjoyed it when he would come over for dinner.

"Open the gift first," he nodded to the bag. "I really hope you like it," he smiled at her again.

"Right," she shook her head. She'd put the bag down and had started to pull out things to make coffee. She walked back to the bag and pulled out the gift inside.

"Jack," she said and shook her head as she looked at it. She looked up to him and found him giving her a sheepish look, an almost apologetic look. He had his hands clasped in front of him.

"I know it's not exact, and I know it won't make up for the original, but I saw it, and it reminded me of you. Once again, I want to apologize for the original. I hope you like it," he told her sincerely.

She pulled it out of the bag and ran her hand over it, "It's very similar," she said, clearing her voice. She knew she was on the verge of crying, and that wasn't what she wanted to do."

"I know nothing can replace your grandmother's silver comb and mirror set, but I still feel badly about all that, Sharon. At the time, I didn't care anything about pawning it for a few bucks to tide me over. My drinking and gambling was out of hand, and I should have talked to you about that. Instead, I pawned it, without asking, and I'm still very sorry about that. I hope you will accept this, knowing that I can't fix what I did, but I do think of it and would like to offer it as a sort of peace offering."

She continued to look at the antique set as he spoke. She nodded and ran her hand over the small mirror; it was very much like the set she'd inherited from her grandmother. Her grandmother had died just before she and Jack had married, and the set had been special to Sharon because she had fond childhood memories of sitting in her grandmother's bedroom looking at herself in the mirror while her grandmother brushed her hair. Jack had pawned the set one of the trips he'd made back to LA. He'd stayed at the house for almost a month, and Sharon was thinking that finally, their family was back on track, and one day, she'd returned home to find that he'd left, cleaned out their pitiful checking account, and he'd taken a few family heirlooms. The comb and mirror set had disappeared, and Sharon had been devastated.

"It's lovely," she said as she let out a long sigh, the memory now fresh in her mind again. She didn't want to show him she felt vulnerable at the gesture of the gift, that she had tears trying to form, so she quickly put the set down and turned her focus on their drinks. "Thank you, Jack," she said from the refrigerator as she finally turned back to him, now a better grasp on her emotions.

"You're welcome," he tapped his fingers on the counter. "Like I said, I know it doesn't bring your grandmother's set back, but I, I'm , I'm sorry," he admitted.

"Thank you," she stood there at the counter, across from him. She nodded and reached over and squeezed his hand. That lasted just a few seconds, and she turned back to check on the coffee.

"Where's young Rusty?" he asked, looking around at the condo, almost expecting him to jump out from a hiding spot.

"In his room," Sharon gave a single nod to Jack. She had been rattled by the gift; it was touching, and she knew he meant well, but it had stirred up old memories, as well as old reminders."

"Ahh, yes the typical teenager," he smiled at Sharon. She pulled out the creamer and held it up to Jack, knowing he would want it for his coffee. Her suspicions were confirmed when he nodded to her. She gave it to him and turned back to pour his cup of coffee. The two settled into a few moments of silence while he prepared his drink and she sipped on hers.

"Oh, Emily sent some new photos last week," she smiled brightly as she spoke of their daughter.

"She did?" Jack smiled back at her. "Do you have them?"

"Yes," she gestured for him to follow her. The pictures were in a large envelope at her desk, and she moved quickly across the room to show him. Sharon pulled out the pictures, and Jack moved up and stood behind her to look over her shoulder. She spread them out on the desk, and the two took a few moments to silently study them.

"She's really beautiful, Sharon," Jack said finally breaking the silence. Sharon hummed and ran her hand along the side of one of the photos. He reached over her and pointed to a different picture, "She looks so much like you in this one. That grin," he chuckled, "I remember that when you were her age. It was just a look you had then, something that always caught my eye."

She nodded, and Sharon pointed to a different photo, "I think she looks like your mom in this picture. It's interesting to me that each photo almost brings out a different side to her, a different family look."

Jack studied the photo Sharon had pointed out to him, and he nodded, "She does look like my mom there. Huh, never noticed that. Well, she's so talented. I'm just sorry I haven't seen her dance much. I'd really like to change that. I have a lot to correct," he told her.

The stove's timer went off, and Sharon looked to the kitchen, "Ahh, that's dinner. Let me go check on things," she gestured so Jack would move. He was still standing behind her, and he moved so she could go to the kitchen.

"I'll put the photos away," he told her. "I should see if Emily could send some to me."

"You can have your pick of those," Sharon called back to him. "I'd like a couple, but feel free to take a few for yourself."

"Thanks, Sharon," he said, and he turned toward the hall when he heard Rusty's door. "Hey, Rusty," he grinned as he continued to put away the photos. Rusty walked down the hall and smiled at him.

"Hey, Jack, long time no see," Rusty told him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jack sighed. "You've gotten taller."

"Crazy like that," Rusty nodded, "you know, teenagers growing and all."

Jack rolled his eyes, and he gestured to the kitchen, "Sharon said dinner is ready."

"Cool," Rusty told him. "I'm starving."

It took a few more minutes to finish the dinner prep, but eventually the three sat down to eat. Sharon finished the mashed potatoes while the guys set the table. Jack looked to Sharon, "Where would you like me to sit?"

"Ahh," Sharon looked at the table. Usually, just Rusty joined her for dinner. Over the past several months, Andy had joined them on occasion. When the kids were home, there were no assigned seats. She almost felt like it was wrong to suggest Jack sit where Andy usually sat for dinner. Rusty jumped in quickly, almost as if he understood the dilemma.

"Jack, you can sit here," pulled out the chair at what normally was his seat. He nodded to it, and he moved around to the other side of the table, taking the chair that Andy had often used when at their house. "I'll sit here."

"Sounds good," Jack clapped his hands together and moved to the table. Sharon finished bringing over the sides, and the three finally sat. The meal continued with small talk; Jack asked Rusty a lot about school and his hobbies, and eventually the topic turned to college.

"So, Rusty," Jack said, using his fork to get his last bite of pork chop, "tell me about college. What are your plans?"

"Jack," Sharon sighed, "I told you nothing had been decided."

"It's cool, Sharon," Rusty nodded. He looked to Jack, "I want to go, but I am not sure where yet."

"That's understandable. Sharon tells me she's going to help you with that. Any idea what you want to study?" he asked.

Rusty looked to Sharon, and she smiled at him. Rusty shrugged, "I'm not sure about that yet, either. I'm thinking English or journalism. I'm very grateful for Sharon's help and plan to pay her back when I can."

"Rusty, that is not necessary," Sharon said, quite firmly.

Jack shook his head at Rusty, "You know she means that. She's stubborn," he winked at Rusty. "Well, might I suggest a plug for law. It's a good career, and there are many different avenues. You can still study English or whatever," he gestured, "but think about taking a few pre-law classes too. Sharon, here," he gestured, "almost went to law school."

"Hmm, well, life takes different directions," Sharon said, as she stood to clear the dishes. She had enjoyed the evening so far and didn't' want to take a trip down memory lane, especially a bumpy memory lane.

Jack stood and put his arm on Sharon's, "You cooked; I'll clear," he gave her a single nod. "Dinner was delicious. I haven't had a meal like that in well," he chuckled, "probably since the last time you cooked for me, Sharon. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Jack. I can clear. You're a guest," she pointed out to him.

"Is he though, Sharon?" Rusty gave her a small grin and pointed to Jack. "You said he was your husband, so is he really a guest?"

Sharon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rusty was not helping, and she knew he was, in his own way, trying to understand everything. She didn't understand it, but Jack just looked to Rusty.

"Hey, I don't care what people call me. I can clean up dishes. Good lesson," he nodded to Rusty. "I'm trying to be more helpful in everything I do."

Rusty stood to help, and Sharon gestured for him to hand over his plate, "Rusty, we can get this. You're welcome to stay and chat, but I am guessing you'd prefer anything else."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm going to listen to some music and maybe get started on that book for English. She wants it read by Tuesday, and I haven't started."

"You know, that's going to be the standard for English majors," Jack announced from the kitchen. Rusty rolled his eyes at Sharon. She smiled and nodded to him, and he waved at the two.

"Good to see you, Jack. I'm off to read," he nodded. When he left, Jack turned off the sink and turned to Sharon.

"You've done a remarkable job with him," he told her.

"Thank you," she told him as she collected the glassware from the table. She walked over and put it on the sink near Jack. He watched her movements.

"You've done a remarkable job with all the kids, Sharon," he sighed. "It's been all you. I'm, well," he sighed, "I've been gone far too long."

She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. She looked at him and gave a single nod. More didn't need to be said; it had been said over and over through the years.

"Do you ever think about what life could have been like, Jack?" Sharon asked as he continued to rinse dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

He turned to her, a sad expression on his face, "All the time, Sharon. I think about it all the time. I messed up with you, with the kids, and I know that."

"It was a two-way street, Jack," she sighed. "Yes, you left, and you cheated, but I shut down too. I stopped talking, and I focused on work and the kids."

"None of that is reason to leave, and I left. It's not going to change now, Sharon," he sighed, turning off the water after he loaded the last plate.

She looked to the floor, "I constantly ask myself why we keep doing this, why we aren't just divorced," she sighed.

"And?" he asked. "I don't want that, but you have reason, many reasons, in fact," he nodded to himself.

"I don't know, Jack. It's complicated. I have thought about it, but I just don't know. I guess a small part of me still wonders-" she trailed off and looked away.

"Wonders if I could change?" he turned so he was leaning against the counter just as she was. The two were now standing side by side, their arms both crossed, and he waited for her to answer.

"Yes, no, I mean, partly, yes," she shook her head. "Yes, I wonder if things could change, if you could change," she clarified. "I also wonder if I could change, accept the past and move on. I wonder if we could ever make it work again."

Jack just nodded. He uncrossed his arms and reached for one of Sharon's hands, which was a bit awkward with her arms crossed. He pulled her hand into his, "The biggest reason I came back, Sharon, was to prove to you I am changing, that I want to change. I haven't pushed because I know I have a long road to even get back into your good graces, but I'd really like that."

Sharon nodded, her hand still in his. She hadn't pulled it away, and she looked to the floor as she spoke again, "I've been watching people I know, friends," she clarified, "try to fix their mistakes. It makes me wonder. I start thinking about my mistakes, about our marriage, and that brings me no specific answers."

"We don't have to answer anything today," he said quietly. "On that note," he turned toward her, his hand still linked with hers and faced her, "I'm going to leave for the evening. I think we had a lovely dinner, and this was a much-needed conversation. I'll leave you to think,' he leaned in to her. Sharon thought he was going to kiss her, which he did, but he kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Sharon," he said in an almost whisper and let go of her hand. "Okay if I call you tomorrow?"

"Sure," she said, trying to recover from both their talk and his kiss on her cheek. "I'll be around all weekend," she said as she crossed her arms again. Jack squeezed her arms and stepped back.

"Thank you again for dinner. I'll call you," he nodded, and she pushed off where she had been leaning against her counter to follow him to the door.

"Oh, Jack," she said as he opened the door. He turned toward her, and she handed him the photos, "Don't forget these. Emily would love for you to see her dance. I hope you know that."

He nodded and took the photos. "Night, Sharon," he said, and he turned to leave. Sharon followed and closed the door. She turned, her back against the closed door and leaned her head against it. What was going on with her? She'd just had her estranged husband over for dinner and had somewhat, no, actually, enjoyed it. She was even, perhaps, looking forward to his calling the next day. If she had to admit it, deep in the back of her mind, she was even considering giving Jack another chance.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a long time since she'd gone out for such a long run. Truthfully, she didn't run much at all anymore; she preferred swimming, and even with her work schedule, it was hard to exercise at all. Sure, she had to keep in shape as a police officer, but even that, well, she kept in decent shape, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd run a couple of miles, especially not at the fast pace she'd set this morning. She was frustrated, unsure, and nervous. She was all of that as well as curious and lonely. She was so much, everything rolled into one, that she couldn't even explain it all. She'd hoped the run would help to clear her head, but it had only left her more confused and unsure of what she wanted. Now that she was done running, she decided that another lap around her block, a cool-down lap of just walking, might help her. She'd spent so much of her run focusing on the actual run that she'd almost pushed her thoughts into the background. She was doing that a lot lately, pushing her thoughts about her life into the background, and that hadn't been going well for her. She needed to address her thoughts and feelings head-on, but until she knew what those feelings were, it was hard to address them. It felt like a vicious cycle, one she couldn't seem to end.

Her phone rang as she was still walking, and she glanced at it, expecting it to be a nuisance call this early in the morning or even work, but it surprised her to see Jack's name on the screen. She answered.

"Jack, this is a surprise this early in the morning," she said to him as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sharon, ahh, did I catch you at a bad time? You sound out of breath," he told her.

"I just finished a run," she told him. "I'm almost back to the condo."

"Oh, good, well, I was worried I was calling too early," he said.

"No, I've been up for awhile now. Why are you calling so early? This is unusual," she told him. Jack had never been an early riser. Even when he was still living at home, Jack was not one to get up early. He liked sleeping in and always gave Sharon a hard time for enjoying the quiet early mornings. It was another change she noted in Jack. It wasn't even 8:00 in the morning, on a Saturday, so it definitely classified as early for Jack.

"I was calling you hoping that I could persuade you to join me this morning," he said.

"What did you have planned?" Sharon asked.

"You mentioned you were off today, and I know you have fantastic taste in clothing, always have. I am in desperate need of a new suit for work, and I was hoping you could go shopping with me. You're much better at this than I am, and I thought that maybe when we were done, I could take you to lunch," he explained to her.

"Oh," she said visibly surprised. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gone shopping with Jack. It had been years, decades now, even. As her mind briefly wandered, she thought back to shopping for Emily's nursery furniture, and that was the last real memory she had of shopping with Jack. After that, he hadn't been too interested in the specifics of a second child, so she'd done the shopping for Ricky. Clothing shopping, that was something she knew she hadn't done with Jack in a very long time.

"Sharon?" Jack said, drawing her back to the present.

"Sorry," she shook her head, "ah, yes, that would be fine. I'd enjoy that," she corrected herself. It did sound like a nice thing to do, better than cleaning the condo, which is what she'd decided she would do with her free morning. "Rusty has plans today, a movie I believe, with some of the chess club group, so I have no plans."

"Great!" Jack said excitedly. "Well, I'll pick you up. What time shall I come by the condo?"

"I can be ready by 9:30 if you want to get an earlier start. The stores won't be as crowded in the morning. How does that sound?" Sharon asked him.

"I'll see you at 9:30, Sharon. I'm really looking forward to it," he said, and the two hung up. Sharon continued her walk, now with thoughts of Jack running through her head. They were going out together for the day, shopping and lunch. It sounded nice, very nice. She loved shopping, even if it was going to be for men's suits. She'd taken Rusty to buy suits recently, and Andy had gone along with them. They'd had a great time. Jack didn't have a great eye for fashion, but Sharon knew that was probably why he'd asked her to come with him. She always helped him match his suits with shirts and ties when he had been at home. The fact that he was trying to update his wardrobe again told her that he was serious about cleaning up his act, literally. She moved quickly, knowing she needed to get back to the house and ready for her day.

Rusty was still sleeping so Sharon scribbled a note to him before she left. Jack was due at any minute, and she really didn't want to get into a discussion with Rusty about her spending the day with Jack. Jack was her husband, after all, and it was no one's business if she spent time with him. She hadn't even told Emily and Ricky about spending time with Jack. Right now, it was her business and her business alone. She finished writing the note, just one telling him she had plans, would be shopping, and would be around later in the day for dinner. She was sure the two would text back and forth during the day, but they liked leaving notes for one another if they hadn't discussed plans in advance. Just as she put her note on the counter, she heard Jack knocking at the door. Sharon collected her purse and jacket and moved quickly to the door.

"Morning," she said as she opened it. She was greeted with Jack in khakis, a blue and white striped dress shirt, and casual loafers.

"Morning," he smiled brightly at her, as he handed her a cup of coffee. Sharon looked to it and back to Jack. He shrugged, "I figured shopping with me can't be easy," he chuckled. "Figured you could use a boost of caffeine since you have to spend the day with me."

"Oh, stop," she gave him a small smile. "I think we can manage." She turned and locked the door and then took the cup from him. "Thank you for the coffee."

"Of course, and you look very nice this morning, Sharon," he nodded at her appearance. She'd decided to wear dark jeans with a red shirt and a lightweight black jacket over her outfit. She'd paired the outfit with her black ankle boots.

"Thank you," she nodded, and the two walked side by side to the elevator. "So, you need a suit?"

"Yeah," he pursed his lips as they got onto the elevator. "I need one along with a couple dress shirts and ties. I can't remember the last time I updated anything, and I need to do that especially with this firm. They all look very professional."

Sharon leaned against the back wall of the elevator as she listened. She nodded as he explained what he needed, "Well, there are several areas we can go. Did you have somewhere in mind?"

"I guess, maybe, The Grove?" Jack suggested to her, and she nodded as the elevator door opened. The two walked to the visitor parking area. The Grove was probably their best bet for a local shopping area that would fit Jack's needs.

"That would be my suggestion too. There are plenty of options there for whatever you might need," she explained. They walked to the car, and Sharon was a bit surprised when Jack didn't open her door. She didn't NEED anyone to open her door, and as she thought about it, Jack hadn't done that much when they'd been married. She shook her head at that thought because they still WERE married, but basically, that hadn't been a Jack type of trait. She started thinking about why that was bothering her, and then it dawned on her as she got into the car and put on her seatbelt; it was something Andy did, something she didn't ask him to do, but something she didn't realize until now that she really liked. Sharon shook the idea from her head and glanced to Jack. "You got a new car?"

"Yeah, old one was on its last leg," he shook his head. "Finally growing up, Sharon," he sighed. The two spent the next few minutes in silence as Jack navigated through the streets toward their destination. Sharon broke the silence to bring up the kids.

"Have you seen Ricky lately?" she asked, knowing that he hadn't, at least from what Ricky had told her.

"No, but I called him on the way home last night and am going to go see him next weekend," Jack admitted as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Sharon turned slightly to look at him, her surprise evident. She normally spoke to Ricky on Sunday afternoons and now expected that tidbit of information to come up during their talk. Jack casually glanced at her as he drove and rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know," he nodded to her. "It's a long time coming. I'm really trying, Sharon, honest. Look, last night, I even bought a plane ticket for next Friday night after work. It's been too long. I barely know my own son," he explained.

Sharon nodded and bit her lip as she thought about Jack and the effort he was making. It was remarkable, that after all this time, he was clearly trying. He had a good job, a new car, and he was trying to repair family relationships. "I'm proud of you, Jack," she said.

"Well, there's still a lot of the day left to change that," he chuckled and winked at Sharon. She gave a small smile too.

Their shopping trip was successful. Sharon wasn't sure how much money Jack wanted to or could afford to spend, and she didn't feel right asking. She let him pick out a few things and then gave advice from that point. She started to remember just how much she could like Jack and had in the past. Their morning was fun, the two joking about things, memories really. She felt herself being drawn to him, which sounded so silly as she was married to him. It was when Jack had finally settled on a new black suit and was being fitted for it, that Sharon felt some of the old attraction to him truly returning. She was smoothing down the back of his jacket. He had it on, and she was trying to make sure it looked right from the back. She put her hands on his shoulders to smooth out any wrinkles, and she didn't really want to let go of him. She'd missed him, and he looked in the mirror, his eyes raised at her as she met his glance. She smiled at him and stood back.

"The suit fits you well," she nodded at him as she took a last look at it. The store clerk was on the floor pinning Jack's pants. He needed those to be hemmed, but otherwise, the suit was a great fit.

"Thank you," he told her. "Where would you like to have lunch?"

"Oh," she waved, "we don't have to have lunch. This took much longer than you wanted; you can just take me home."

He raised another eyebrow at her, "Sharon, it's now almost 1:00. I'm not going to just drop you off, after you spent hours shopping with me, and leave you to fend for yourself. Where would you like to eat lunch?"

She nodded at him, accepting his lunch invitation. She started to think, "Well, let's see, what about Greek? There's a place not far from here I've been to before, and they have good salads, along with several other things."

"Fine by me," he said. The clerk finished with Jack's pants and stood. Jack nodded his thanks at him.

"I'll be at the front when you finish," he told Jack. He left, leaving Sharon and Jack alone.

"I'll just get changed, and then we can eat wherever you like. Now, do you need to do any shopping while we are here? I'm free, but I mean, if you have things to do, I'll take you home," he told her.

"Lunch sounds great," she told him. "Emily's birthday is coming up in three weeks. You do know that, right?" she looked to Jack. The blank expression on his face told Sharon he'd forgotten, but after their enjoyable morning, she didn't want to start up with an argument, so she spoke quickly. "Maybe we could find something for her together," she gestured with her hand, "from you, after lunch. I bought her several things, but I'd be happy to help you shop."

"Umm, yeah," he nodded. "Thank you. I don't have a gift for her yet. Maybe I should get Ricky something, you know, to take with my next weekend. It doesn't have to be anything grand, but what do you think?"

"I think that is a great idea, Jack," she nodded. "It's never a bad thing, to get gifts for your own children."

Lunch went smoothly, and their shopping trip ended up lasting most of the afternoon. Rusty sent Sharon a text just after lunchtime asking her about her plans for the rest of the day. She told him that she was shopping at The Grove, but that she planned to be home for dinner. As their day continued and Sharon relaxed, she found herself smiling more and worrying less. They shopped in several stores, finally settling on a gift for Ricky.

"You think he'll enjoy this sci-fi boxed set of this show?" Jack looked at the box and turned it over to read about the series. Sharon knew Ricky would like it; he'd mentioned that he had started watching the show recently and had asked Sharon if Rusty liked it, which Rusty did not. So, when they were browsing the books and DVDs, Sharon got the idea for Jack to get him the show in a series set.

"I think he will love it, Jack. Look at it this way," she shrugged, "if nothing else, it gives you two something to do, something to watch. If things get awkward, you can turn on the show and watch it together." He thought about it a moment, and he nodded at her.

"Thank you," he said to her and walked to the checkout to purchase it. With Ricky's gift done, the two continued to browse the stores. Neither had seen just the right gift, until Sharon spotted some beautiful bracelets in a storefront. She reached for Jack, who was distracted and a couple steps in front of her.

"Jack," she reached for him and took hold of and tugged on his hand. He turned quickly, surprised by her hand grabbing his. She pulled him toward her to look in the window. "I think Emily would like that, one of those lovely bracelets." Jack studied the bracelet, and he nodded.

"You have always had the best taste," he smiled. She grinned at him, his charm breaking down her walls. He gestured to the door, where the two went inside, and he purchased the bracelet. When they returned to the sidewalk, Jack didn't ask; he reached for Sharon's hand, and she looked down over at him. He continued to look forward, expecting if it bothered her, she would pull away. Sharon didn't; she left her hand in his, enjoying the moment, and wondering about the future.

The two held hand until they returned to Jack's car. Nothing was said after they left the jewelry store. It was almost as if their hands did the talking. Their hands only broke free when they were about to get into the car. Jack walked her to the passenger door this time, and when she moved to sit down, he touched her arm. "Sharon, this has been a great day. Thank you for coming here with me, for spending the day with me. I've missed this, missed you so much."

Sharon bit her lip and blushed slightly. She let out a long sigh and then an admission, "I've really missed this, spending time together, Jack. I've missed being a couple." Jack leaned in at that moment and kissed Sharon. Knowing Jack as long as she had, Sharon knew he was going to kiss her, but it still surprised her slightly. She momentarily thought about fighting against it, pushing Jack away, but very quickly, that idea faded. She found herself returning the kiss, and the two enjoyed a few moments kissing before Sharon pulled back. "I suppose we should get going."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I've missed you, Sharon."

"I know," she nodded, looking at the ground. "I'm really happy you are trying Jack, trying to get your life back on track." She met his gaze, and he met hers. The two looked at each other, and then Sharon turned and sat down in the car. She watched Jack walk around and get into the driver's seat, and at that moment, she wasn't sure what came over her, but she leaned across the seat and pulled Jack toward her to kiss him again. He was caught off guard, but he turned slightly to kiss her back. When they broke apart, she shook her head. "I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me."

"I'm not," he chuckled. "I have always enjoyed kissing you. Sharon opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it quickly. She was almost ready to blow everything, to ruin the nice day they'd had by adding replying with a nasty truth. She held it back, though, the comment. She had wanted to tell Jack, that while he said he'd always enjoyed kissing her, that he'd found plenty of other women to kiss over the years. She didn't say it, but she thought it. She wanted to say it, maybe, deep down, but she knew it would ruin the day they'd had. She'd said it before, or things similar to that, but she didn't want to say it now. Jack was trying, truly trying, and she knew that deep down, he loved her.

"Sharon?" she snapped her head toward Jack. She hadn't heard anything he had said. "You okay?" he asked. Your phone," he gestured to her purse. "Your phone-it sounded like a text message."

"Sorry," she said. "I got caught in the moment," she smiled at him. He grinned, and she dug out her phone to read the text. "Rusty is going to meet up with Buzz for burgers and a movie."

"Didn't he see one already today?" Jack asked.

Sharon started to laugh as she worked on replying to Rusty's text, "Hmm, yes, that's the thing to do, apparently. He saw a movie with friends from school. Now, he's going with Buzz. It's different, apparently," she grinned at him with a hint of flirtation in her voice.

Jack chuckled and nodded, "Apparently. So, you can just relax then tonight, put your feet up after a day out shopping with me, and enjoy a quiet evening."

Sharon nodded and looked out the window, studying the landscape as Jack drove. She wasn't sure what prompted her, but she turned to him, "I can enjoy a quiet evening at home alone, or you can join me. This has been a lovely day, and I don't want it to end. We could order Chinese food and eat on the balcony."

"I'd very much like that, Sharon," he told her. "It's all I want, to be with you."


	10. Chapter 10

The balcony seemed like the perfect place to end her evening. It was familiar and comfortable. It was also dark and somewhat mysterious in the night sky. It described Sharon's thoughts after an evening with Jack.

The two had enjoyed their evening; it had been relaxing and enjoyable and surprisingly, free from interruption. Rusty had sent Sharon a text just after she and Jack had arrived back at the condo, telling her he was out and would be back before 11:00.

 _"Rusty won't be home until 11:00 or so," Sharon turned to Jack who was at the counter studying the Chinese take-out menu. He glanced up at her, trying to gauge her reaction._

 _"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Jack asked. "I know you are protective of him."_

 _"I think it's a good thing," Sharon grinned. "Yes, it's a very good thing," she said quietly and walked from the coffee pot where she had been making coffee and tea, to the counter where Jack was perched. She was now opposite him, as Jack was standing next to the barstools, and she leaned on the counter directly across from him. "I absolutely love having Rusty here, but I'm very much looking forward to a night where we can just talk and reconnect."_

 _"Reconnect?" Jack raised an eyebrow and tilted his head as he looked at her._

 _She shrugged, "Dinner on the balcony, maybe some music, and maybe just time out there to sit and stare into the night sky."_

 _"I like how you think, Sharon. I'll order the food," he said and quickly pulled out his phone to dial._

Now, as she looked at the LA skyline, she sighed, thinking about what a lovely evening it had been. The two had enjoyed their Chinese food on the balcony. Once they had finished, the two had moved to the the railing and stood next to each other for quite some time. Eventually, Jack had pulled Sharon into his side, wrapping his arm loosely around her waist, and she'd enjoyed it. Now, as she thought about it, she stood there, in the same spot, and she smiled. She smiled at the memory of Jack standing next to her as the two looked to the night sky. The sky was dark and mysterious, and while happy about the last few hours, it was the thing that was bothering her about Jack, the comparison. Sure, Sharon knew what the skyline looked from her balcony during the day, but at night, there was a bit of mystery. She felt Jack was similar; she knew what to expect from his typical behaviors and even intentions of the last 30 plus years, but there was a mystery to him now, one she wasn't sure if was scary or not. Just as the dark could be scary, she wondered if Jack's intentions were too. His behavior scared her, even though he appeared to be putting his life together again. As she stood, she thought it over and over in her mind and decided to proceed with caution, just what someone would do in the dark when they were thinking about moving forward.

Sharon sighed and closed her eyes as she listened to the sounds of LA. She could hear car horns and traffic sounds even still over the light music playing in her living room. Jazz. Jack liked it, so she'd put it on earlier. It seemed to fit the mood. After they'd been standing at the railing for awhile, staring into the night sky, Jack had turned to kiss Sharon. She hadn't resisted, and in fact, she'd enjoyed it very much. When she pulled back, she knew she'd confused him just by watching the expression on his face. Sharon left him standing there, speechless, but he smiled when she returned just moments later with a blanket. They curled up on one of her lounge chairs, Jack with his arm around her, and the two stayed that way for over the next hour. It felt good; it felt normal, and it felt like something a woman would do with her husband.

As Sharon turned back toward the lounge chairs, she smiled at the memory. They'd been content sitting there, not saying much, but just enjoying each other's company. Sure, they'd kissed some, but again, Sharon shrugged it off because that was something normal a husband and wife should do, sit together and kiss on the balcony.

Sharon had almost, she had almost, invited Jack to stay, but she didn't. Now, as she stood and thought back over the evening, she still wasn't sure if she'd made the right decision. He'd left just 20 minutes ago now, and she was back out on the balcony replaying the night in her head. It hadn't felt quite right, inviting Jack to stay. Yes, she was well aware he was her husband; she kept telling herself that, but their marriage was a mess. It had been a 30-year mess, and she knew she couldn't afford to let her emotions cloud her judgement. The problem was they WERE clouding her judgement, and she was having trouble keeping things black and white; the gray area was creeping in more and more each day in regards to Jack.

Her head snapped to the door when she heard it open. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Rusty walking in the door. She wasn't worried about him, well, she was, but that wasn't why she was relieved. She hadn't realized it until just that moment, but she was actually a bit terrified Jack had returned, wanting to spend the night himself. In that moment, she knew she'd made the right decision to send him home, or at least back to his friend's couch, where he was staying. No, she wasn't ready for Jack to stay with her, even if he was legally still married to her. No, that wasn't a chance she could take yet, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep telling herself that.

"Oh, hey, there you are," Sharon looked up as Rusty smiled at her. "It's getting cold out here. You okay?"

"Rusty, you are home a little earlier than I expected," Sharon said as she glanced at her watch. It was now 10:30; she had sent Jack home at 10:00, knowing if he had stayed much longer, she wouldn't send him home for the night.

"Yeah, I am kind of tired and have a headache," he shrugged. "I'm going to head to bed. What music is that?" Rusty grimaced.

"Jazz," Sharon let out a low chuckle. "Jack was here for dinner. He likes Jazz."

"Oh," Rusty frowned. "Where is he?"

"Home," she nodded. "He went home awhile ago now."

"So, what's the deal with him?" Rusty asked.

Sharon shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet, but it's been nice spending time with him. He seems sincere in his plans to change, but I've heard that before too."

"Yeah, well, I just want you happy, Sharon, but I also know he's hurt you before. I don't want that. You've been so good to me. I can't stand the idea of anyone, Jack especially, hurting you again," he told her.

"Thank you, Rusty," she smiled widely and walked to him. She gave him a small hug, as he was still a bit squeamish at the idea of anyone hugging him. "Get some rest if you aren't feeling well."

"I will. Get some sleep, Sharon," he nodded to her and turned to go back into the condo.

Sharon watched Rusty get a glass of water, wave to her, and then disappear down the hall. She took one last look around the balcony, almost wanting to remember every detail of the enjoyable evening before she locked up the door and turned off the music. Jazz. It always reminded her of Jack, and tonight, it had set the mood for a semi-romantic evening with her estranged husband.

By the middle of Monday morning, Sharon was ready for a cup of tea. She'd spent a couple hours going over expense reports and had started to have trouble focusing. She stopped working when she realized she'd started to hum the music from Saturday night. Jazz. There it was again, the tune now stuck in her head. She tried to shake it off, but she couldn't, so she stood, intent on making a cup of tea. She glanced out to check on the team. It appeared Andy and Provenza might have had the same idea, at least about a mid-morning break, because neither was at his desk.

"So, I get to the house on Saturday, and she's got this whole list of things she wants me to do to it, like I'm her personal contractor," Sharon stopped suddenly in the hallway as she heard Andy complaining to whom she assumed was Provenza. "Look, I don't mind helping her out, but she's wanting to make all these big changes to her house, asking my opinion, like I'm moving in there! I'm not! I'm not even sure this whole trying to get back together is such a good idea."

"Flynn, you've got to trust your gut. I keep telling you that getting back with the ex never works! Trust me. Take it from someone who knows," Provenza told him.

"Yeah, I know, but at the same time, I keep telling myself that it isnt't that bad. So, she wants to change things and wants to ask my opinion. Is that really so bad? She wants to rid her house of her ex," he sighed.

"Her other ex," Provenza corrected. "Let's not forget that. Again, take it from someone who knows. She now has two ex-husbands. She kicked out the second and thinks the first looks pretty good again. I've been there, you idiot! It doesn't work. I want you to be happy, but you aren't happy!"

"I'm not sure what will make me happy, Provenza!" Andy exclaimed. "I think she might, but then I get to spending time with her, and it just doesn't feel right. Something feels off. For example, I used to love going out to dinner, but lately, with Sandra, I dread it. I just do. I don't like any of the places she picks, and it just feels weird."

Sharon knew she shouldn't eavesdrop on two of her lieutenants, and she was afraid if she didn't interrupt now, someone else would come along and make things even more awkward. Normally, conversations in the break room stayed in the break room, but since a suspect had kicked at their break room door and broken the latch almost a month ago, the door didn't shut properly. Sharon had put in a maintenance request to have the door fixed, but that paperwork hadn't been processed yet. With that in mind, that she had walked into a private conversation, she decided to end it.

"I smell coffee," she announced as she walked into the room. The two men looked to her, surprised they didn't hear her coming. She had on pants and flats today; Jack preferred her in flats because he wasn't that much taller than she was, and the heels made her taller.

"Captain," Provenza shook his head at Andy, turned away from him, and he looked to her. "I'm making coffee now."

"That means you should run, Sharon," Andy turned and winked at her. "No one should have to drink Provenza's coffee."

Sharon smiled at Andy and nodded, "Good thing I came for tea. The coffee smells good, though, I must say."

"Flynn, what did you do?" Provenza pointed at him. "She ignored your comment about my coffee and claims it smells good. Have you irritated her? She always sides with you."

Andy rolled his eyes. Sharon chuckled and walked to the sink to start preparing her tea, "Andy has done nothing wrong, Lieutenant," she smiled at Andy and looked to Provenza. "He's still one of my favorite people."

Provenza raised an eyebrow to her, and she shrugged. Andy jumped to her defense before Provenza could say something sarcastic, "Provenza, if she starts liking you, we all know something is wrong."

"Well, in that case, I'm going back to work. I can't be seen talking to the captain for too long," he flashed a grin at her. "Captain, talk some sense into Flynn, please?"

Provenza gathered his things, and he moved out of the break room quickly, leaving Sharon at the counter where she was working on her tea. Andy was still seated at the table where he had been drinking his cup of coffee and talking to Provenza, the same conversation Sharon had just overheard.

"Everything okay?" Sharon looked to Andy and smiled after Provenza started down the hall.

"Yeah," he sighed and waved a hand. "Why? Am I that obvious?"

"Hmm, perhaps," she nodded, "but, maybe you are just out of sorts."

"Sorry?" Andy asked, not following Sharon's comment.

She nodded to him, "You aren't wearing your suspenders. You've been wearing those more and more for quite some time. Today, nothing, just a shirt, tie, and jacket. I know you have many pairs of suspenders, so maybe you are out of sorts because you aren't wearing them."

"Oh," he flashed a grin, the first one she'd seen on him the whole morning. "Well, I'm surprised you noticed. Sandra said she didn't like the suspenders, reminded her of her uncle. She said they made me look heavier and older than I am."

"Really?" Sharon asked, quite surprised. "Andy, I'm surprised she would say that, not to mention surprised you'd stop wearing them. You love your suspenders."

He shrugged, "Yeah, well, sometimes, things are just worth it, or so you hope. I'm trying to make amends and not make the same mistakes twice. Right now, that means I'm trying to figure out things with Sandra. She commented on the suspenders, so I'm trying. Relationships," he sighed.

Sharon nodded as she listened. She definitely understood that. As Andy spoke, she continued to think of her current predicament with Jack. She met Andy's gaze, noting he was looking at her, and she gave a small smile. "I understand. I really do," she said quietly. "Just remember, Andy, that you deserve to be happy too, no matter what. I tell myself that all the time."

He nodded, "Thanks, Sharon. You've always been so easy to talk to about anything."

She gathered her tea and walked toward him. She smiled as she approached him, "For what it's worth, Andy, you've got great taste in clothing, and I think if you like your suspenders, you should wear them. I think they will be missed around the office, should you choose to change your wardrobe for Sandra." She lightly squeezed his shoulder, gave him a smile, and then she started for the door. It wasn't until she was in the hall and humming the music from the other night that it hit her. Jazz. She didn't even like that type of music, and here, she'd just spend an evening listening to it for Jack.


	11. Chapter 11

The team found themselves knee-deep in cases the rest of the week. They caught two, both relatively easy murders to solve. Sharon had joked with Andy, on occasion, that it sounded odd to call murders easy, but sometimes, situations and people were very predictable. It was now Thursday afternoon, just after noon, and the team had been busy all morning completing paperwork from the first murder. The two murders had come in so close to each other, that the team had barely finished the paperwork for one when they had a second. They had worked long hours all week, two 14-hour days, but they were almost done with their week. Normally, they didn't catch cases like that, right on top of each other, but they had done a favor for Robbery/Homicide. That department was buried in cases, and they had a few detectives out for various reason. With all that, Major Crimes had taken on more than usual, and now it was time to close out their week. They hoped to finish the paperwork from the first case Thursday and then dedicate Friday to the paperwork from their second case. Paperwork was a never-ending job, and when they got busy, as they had this week, it made it even worse.

Sharon looked at her watch and realized just how hungry she was. She glanced out, noting the team was hard at work, and she decided to send them all out for a well-deserved leisurely lunch.

"I know we've had a long week, taking on that first case Monday late afternoon, and then the second one following right behind it. It's time to take a long lunch. Go, enjoy," she waved her hands.

"No argument from me," Provenza stood and started to put on his jacket. "Who is joining me for lunch?"

"I'm going for a run over lunch," Amy stood and gathered her things. "I haven't had time for a good run all week."

"I'm going to eat the leftovers I brought," Buzz told the group. "No sense in good food going to waste."

"I'll come," Mike nodded to Provenza.

"Same," Julio stood and put on his jacket. The group all turned to Andy and Sharon.

"I'll go," Andy shrugged, "but, on one condition, Provenza," he pointed to him. "I'm not paying for your lunch."

"I wasn't asking," Provenza shrugged. "Besides, we're going to the deli down the street. One of the women who works there is always very chatty with me and told me next meal I had there was on the house," he shrugged. "Who knows-I might get lunch and a date out of it."

Sharon covered her mouth as she started to laugh. The team turned toward her, and she felt the blush creeping up her face. She waved to the team. "I'm sorry," she shook her head. "Lieutenant, good luck with your lunch endeavors. I'm sure I'll hear all about it from the team when you return."

"You aren't going to come with us?" Andy turned and asked her.

"No," she shook her head. "I have a salad in the break room. Rusty didn't like the salad I made yesterday, so I have extra. Go and enjoy," she nodded to the group.

"We should all go out for drinks tomorrow, after all the paperwork is done," Julio suggested. "We haven't done that in a long time after a case, and this week, we had two cases. Anyone interested?"

"I'm good with that," Amy nodded and started for the door. "I'm going to change. Enjoy lunch," she waved.

"Yeah, I'll go for drinks tomorrow," Buzz nodded. "Same place as usual?"

"Works for me," Julio nodded. "Lieutenants?"

"Sure, Julio, I'll go," Mike smiled. "When have I turned down the chance to just hang out with you?"

Julio smiled and looked to Provenza, "Sir?"

"Flynn, are we going?" Provenza looked to Andy.

Andy sighed and rolled his eyes. As he did so, he caught Sharon's smile and turned toward her. He rolled them again toward Sharon, and she started to chuckle. He turned back to Provenza, "I guess I'll go because even if I tell you I'm not coming, you'll call me for a ride anyway."

"At least you are smart enough to admit you finally figured that out," Provenza smirked.

"Sharon, you have to come, tomorrow, please," Andy turned to her, asking for the team. She looked around the room, and when she saw them all nodding at her, she smiled.

"I will come tomorrow, one drink, though, just one," she held up her hand. "Rusty is busy with a chess tournament at school, so I have the time tomorrow."

"Great," Andy grinned, and the team added their own smiles when she agreed to come.

"Lunch," Sharon reminded them, and they all nodded and started for the door. She watched them leave and stood there in the empty room as they excited. It was refreshing now to work with a team she enjoyed as much as her current one. They were like family, all of them. She looked to their empty desks, turned, and she returned to her office, intent on working another half hour before getting her lunch.

She was interrupted a few minutes later by an unfamiliar knock on her door. She looked up, surprised, to find Jack at the door. She waved him in as she closed her most recent file.

"Jack," she gave him a small smile and searched his face for the reason for his arrival. Normally, Jack's presence in the office was a little unnerving, and today she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing.

"Sharon," he smiled as he entered. He left the door open because the rest of the team was out. "You didn't send the team home already, did you?" Jack chuckled as he put his briefcase in a chair and sat in the other.

"No," she said as she shuffled files and stacked some together. "I sent them to lunch, oh, about 15 minutes ago now," she said as she glanced at her watch.

"Lunch," he raised his eyebrows. "Now, you are speaking my language. I had a client to see downstairs, and I wanted to stop by and see if you would like to join me for lunch. I am done here for the day, and I thought lunch with you would be a possibility before I head back to the office."

"Hmm, lunch," she nodded. "I don't have a lot of time. I was just going to eat my salad in the break room before the team gets back."

"Come on, Sharon," he winked at her. "We can even get something at the diner across the street if that is easy for you. It's fast."

"Fine," she said quietly as she nodded. She had not seen Jack all week due to her schedule as well as his. He had called her a couple of times, and she had sent him a few text messages throughout the week. She was still being cautious, but Jack was proving each day that he was trying. Sharon stood and glanced at Jack, "Are you wearing your new suit?"

"Yeah," he put his hand on the jacket and opened it before he continued, "I just picked it up last night. Looks good, and it fits well. Thank you again for helping me pick this out at the store."

"Of course, Jack," she smiled as she pulled her purse out of the drawer. She looked over at him, "It looks good on you."

"Thanks," he flashed a grin and walked to her door to open it. He gestured for her to go before he did. "I'm guessing you finally closed your cases?"

"We did," she nodded as they walked to the elevator. "Long week."

"You have had a long week," he nodded. The two waited for the elevator, and Jack continued, "I'm sorry I won't see you this weekend. Remember, I am going to see Ricky tomorrow."

"That's right," Sharon smiled brightly at the mention of Ricky's name. "I am very glad you are going. It's long overdue, the father-son time, Jack. I'm proud of you."

He shrugged as they got onto the elevator, "I know I messed up, Sharon, but yeah, I'm trying."

They continued their small talk until they got out onto the street. They were heading to the crosswalk when they both smelled the aroma coming from one of the food carts. Sharon looked to Jack, "That smells delicious. Would you mind if we got food there and even just ate out here?"

Jack looked around, and he shrugged, "Sure, whatever the lady would like." Sharon grinned at him, and the two ended up ordering from the food cart. They ordered Mediterranean chicken wraps, and once they had their food, Sharon nodded to an area on the side of the building where they could sit.

"Thank you for buying me lunch," she said. Sharon had offered to pay, but to her pleasant surprise, Jack already had a $20 bill out to pay. "This is perfect," she said a few moments later between bites. "The food is great, I have a chance to talk to you, and I can still get back to work."

"You work too hard, Sharon," Jack shook his head. "You know the LAPD won't come undone if you slow down a little. Trust me."

"I know," she agreed, "but, I like my job, and we are doing good work."

"You are," he nodded, "but, you also need to take time to enjoy life, to find a balance. I'm trying to do that, so believe me, I know."

Sharon put down her food and looked to Jack, "What is the balance you are seeking? You've tipped the scales most of your adult life. You and I both know that, so what balance do you want now?"

He frowned as he thought a moment, and then he nodded to her, "You're right. I have. I've run off over and over. Honestly, now, I want you. I want you back, and I want to start over. I'm trying to show you I can. I'm trying to be the man I should have been for you. I have a law degree, and yet, I've barely used it. I have a family, and I barely know them. I'm done with my running games."

Sharon eyed him, "Jack, you've said things like that before."

"I know I have, but look," he shook his head, "maybe it's being older, but I just want to be with you Sharon. You're my wife. I know if we were done, we would have divorced years ago, Catholic or not. Something, though, something tells me, there's still a chance. Am I wrong?"

Sharon looked away, still silent. She looked around at the bustling street; there were people all around, going in many different directions. Jack had gone in many different directions over the years, but here he was, telling her he wanted to be home with her. He wanted her. Sharon had always waited for that, to have Jack come to his senses. Deep down, she still loved him, she believed. She still had the notion of a happy future with him. As independent as she was and could be, she wanted to be loved, and Jack was here in front of her, offering to do that.

"I'd like to think there is still a chance, Jack," she said quietly. She finally met his gaze, "You've hurt me a lot over the years, and that doesn't go away."

"I know, Sharon," Jack sighed. "Look, I want to try again with you, and one of the things I need to talk to you about is my living situation. I can't stay with my friend forever, and basically, I need to do something. I can find my own place, but if we are talking about getting back together, which I want, that seems silly for me to sign a long lease. I don't want to pressure you, but it is something that needs to be addressed. We are married," he chuckled and shook his head.

Sharon pursed her lips as she stared at Jack, "Is this all about you coming to the condo?"

"No!" Jack said quickly and then lowered his voice. "This isn't some ploy. I want to get back together with my wife. Part of doing that involves discussing our living situations. Look, if Rusty wasn't there, this wouldn't be such a big deal. I could just stay in his room."

"He is there, though, Jack," Sharon sighed. "I have to consider him, as well as Emily and Ricky. I don't want to tell them anything right now; they've been hurt enough, but I can't exactly hide it if you come stay at the condo."

"I wasn't going to tell Ricky anything this weekend anyway, Sharon," Jack told her. "Yes, they have been put in the middle of this long enough. We are adults and can figure this out, whatever it is, without involving them. Look, I'll get my own place. I wasn't trying to make you mad, and I wasn't suggesting Rusty go. I only meant that Rusty being there does create a situation it wouldn't have created before."

Sharon sighed and shook her head. The two were quiet a few moments before Sharon looked back at Jack, "When do you have to be out of your friend's place?"

Jack sighed, "He hasn't given me any sort of eviction notice," he chuckled, "but, he's asked what my plans are and hinting I need to act on my plans. I told him that I've been separated, but my wife and I are working on things. I'll start looking for an apartment next week when I get back from visiting Ricky if that is what you want."

"Just let me think about it, Jack," Sharon looked to him. "Can I have the weekend to think about it? I'm not sure what I want to suggest, but let me think for a few days. If you come to the condo, we will have to tell the kids eventually. Rusty will be there too, and I only want him in a positive situation. I'm not sure if I'm ready for you to be in the middle of our lives in the condo."

Jack nodded, "I get it, I do, but Sharon, if we are in, I say we are all in, together. I want you; I want you back. I want you to be my wife. Go ahead and think about it. I think whatever we decide, that sets the course for the future. We either decide to give it another go, or we decide to go our separate ways. Sharon, I think this is the time to decide what you want."

Sharon agreed to think about Jack's situation, not sure of exactly what she wanted to do. Just recently, she'd sent him away after the two had enjoyed a lovely evening at the condo on the balcony. She had mixed feelings about that, thinking that it was the right thing to do, and then later, thinking that she should have allowed her husband to stay. She wasn't going to move forward with Jack by digging up the past constantly. Now, he'd given her something to seriously consider, and with that, she agreed to think about it and give him an answer after his visit with Ricky. The two settled back into lighter topics for lunch, and when they were done, Jack offered to walk Sharon back to her office.

"I'd love to walk you upstairs," he smiled at her as he reached out to touch her arm. She looked at his arm on hers and then up to him.

"I'm just not sure, Jack," she sighed and shook her head. "The team, you," she shrugged.

"Well, I do need to check on one thing," he held up his phone. Sharon nodded, remembering he'd gotten several text messages during their lunch. "My boss asked me to go by cyber before I come back to the office, some paperwork there he needs. So, can I at least ride with you in the elevator?"

Sharon chuckled and nodded, "I think that can be arranged." She glanced down when she saw his hand extend toward hers, and even though it was the middle of the day, in front of her office building, she put her hand in his as they walked. It felt odd, but at the same time, she continued to tell herself that she was walking with her husband. Normal people in normal marriages did that, walk hand in hand down the street, but it still felt odd to her.

The two walked back into the building, Sharon ready to get back to work and Jack on his way to the cyber division to pick up something for his boss. As they arrived at the elevator, she pulled her hand from his. Jack turned toward her, and they stood at the elevator, talking. Sharon froze when she heard the familiar sounds of her team coming toward them.

"Gentlemen," she said as she turned to face them. They had walked into the building and had not yet noticed she was waiting for the elevator.

"Sharon," Andy smiled at her at just the same moment Jack turned around toward the men. He was standing next to Sharon, and as soon as Andy saw him, he started to scowl and then glanced to Sharon. "Jack," Andy said crisply, a definite change from his greeting to Sharon.

"Ahh, if it isn't Flynn, Provenza, and team," he flashed a grin. He held up his briefcase, "Duty calls," he chuckled and continued, "although, I'm not working with all of you today. How is everyone?"

"Captain, is he bothering you?" Julio gave Sharon a look as he asked.

"No," Sharon pursed her lips, trying to silently plead with the team. She looked over to Jack and gave him a small shake of her head, almost begging him to stay silent as well, "We were just walking upstairs."

"Yup, great lunch, and back to work," Jack grinned. The elevator opened, and he gestured for Sharon to go in front of him. He winked to the team as he followed Sharon and turned around to face them as they all got onto the elevator. The ride was quite as they all stood in the elevator. Sharon knew the team wanted to strangle Jack; she'd had similar feelings in the past, but they also didn't know he was trying. When the elevator stopped for Jack, he broke the silence. "Team, always a pleasure," he said as he stepped off the elevator. He turned back to look at Sharon, "Sharon, I'll call you later, and I'll see you when I get back from visiting Ricky."

"Hmm, thank you, Jack. I'll speak to you later," she gave him a quick nod and a small smile. The elevator closed, and she felt the team all turn toward her to gauge her reaction. "Jack is not up for discussion," she said right away before anyone could ask.

Andy met her gaze and raised an eyebrow at her. She looked back at him, her face void of any expression. Sharon was sure she heard Provenza mumble something, and she noticed Julio and Mike exchange a look. Nothing more was said. When the elevator arrived on their floor, the team quickly filed out, all except for Andy. He gestured for Sharon to go before he did, and then he caught up to Sharon.

"Did you have lunch with Jack?" he hissed, his voice quiet, but definitely concerned. The rest of the team seemed to understand that this was not a conversation they were all to be involved, as they were already making their way back into the office. Sharon stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to Andy. She crossed her arms.

"I did have lunch with Jack. Why?" she gave him a look.

"Why?" Andy exclaimed. "Jack has done nothing but hurt you. What in the world could you two possibly discuss over lunch? He's going to call you? He's going to see Ricky? Sharon, what's going on with him? He's never paid any attention to the kids. I've seen Ricky more in the last year than Jack has in the last five."

"Andy," Sharon said politely, but sternly, "Jack is my business. I appreciate your concern, but I'm handling it. Jack is trying; he's trying. You have said how important family is, and you have even said that sometimes you have to give people a second chance. Isn't that what you are doing right now with Sandra? You are working through things to give her a second chance. If I'm doing the same, it's my business. I know you are worried, I do," she nodded, "but, trust my judgement."

Andy looked away and shook his head. When he looked back at Sharon, he looked her in the eye, noting she was staring at him, her eyes with a dark and almost worried look, "Sharon, I can barely trust my own judgement right now. You have to understand I am concerned about you; I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt. I've made so many mistakes in my life, and I'm not sure of myself right now. I'm not sure if my judgement is clouded regarding Sandra, but one thing I know for sure, Jack is clouding your judgement. I'm telling you that as a friend. I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt, and Jack will hurt you. It's not if, but when, and I beg you, Sharon, to think about that before you do anything.


	12. Chapter 12

Sharon wasn't proud of herself. She wasn't proud of how the conversation with Andy had ended. She knew Andy was worried, but she'd snapped. She's said something unkind when Andy was trying to be her friend. She sighed, knowing she needed to apologize, but she was having a hard time getting up from her desk to do just that. She glanced at her watch, and it was now just after 5:00. The team had been in and out of her office all afternoon, everyone but Andy. He'd sent his reports in, via Provenza, but he hadn't been into her office. In fact, she had noted that Provenza had sent him on several errands to turn in evidence and other similar tasks throughout the afternoon. As she looked to his desk, she noted he wasn't there again. She sighed, stood, and she walked out to address the team.

"Thank you for working so hard today," she gave the team a small smile. Julio had already left; his mom had a doctor's appointment, and technically, any of them could leave now, with it being after hours on a non-case day. "We could do paperwork all night, but please go," she waved. "Have a good evening, and we can pick up tomorrow."

"Thanks, Captain," Mike nodded to her and stood. He started to put on his suit coat, and Sharon watched for a moment before her eyes drifted to Provenza.

"Lieutenant, where is Andy? I'd like to speak to him before he leaves for the day," she told him. All eyes glanced toward his empty desk and then back to Provenza.

"Oh, Captain," he looked up to her, slightly surprised she didn't know, "I sent him back to evidence with the box from our second case. We got started on that. He was going to leave from there, said he had things to do, and well, it's also his meeting night."

"Ahh, thank you," she nodded at Provenza, hopeful that her disappointment didn't show. "I'll catch up with him later. Everyone, enjoy your night."

The team collected their items, and as they did so, Sharon retreated to her office. She hated that she'd left things with Andy such a mess, and she was sure it was why he was in and out of the office all afternoon. She shook her head as she thought about what she'd said to Andy.

 _"Andy, I appreciate your concern, but this is my life, my marriage. I'm still married, if you had forgotten. I didn't end my marriage and walk away from it. I didn't give up on things. I've always fought for my family and will continue to do so. Sometimes, you have to take a chance," she'd told him and when she'd finished saying it, she instantly regretted it. She looked to Andy, standing there in the hallway, and she could see she'd shocked him. His face turned from worried to frustrated, all emotions directed at her. She thought for sure he was going to say something; he even opened his mouth to speak, but then, he closed it, shook his head, waved dismissively at her with one hand, and he turned and walked away, leaving Sharon in the hallway. At that moment, she felt anything like a strong, independent police captain._

Sharon hated the way she'd felt in the hallway, but she knew that she'd brought it on, a lot of it, with her comments to Andy. She needed to fix it. Provenza might not know exactly what had happened, but the man was a fantastic detective and Andy's best friend. Sharon had no doubt he'd kept Andy busy and out of her hair for the afternoon to avoid any potential problems. When she sat down at her desk again, she looked to her phone sitting next to her paperwork. She really didn't want to handle this over text message, but she did want Andy to know she was sorry.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I was hoping to catch you before you left for the day. I hope we can talk tomorrow, Andy. Thank you for being a good friend," she told him. She put her phone down and waited as she continued to glance at it, hoping to see that he'd read her message. After staring at it for almost a full minute, she finally looked away. He was probably driving, and if anyone was good about focusing on the road only while driving, it was Andy. She sighed and got back to work. She'd go home soon enough.

It wasn't until much later, actually the next morning, as Sharon was getting ready for work that she finally heard back from Andy. It was a wonderful sound, sometimes, the sound of her text alert, and when she saw the incoming message was from Andy, she smiled, hoping that she hadn't ruined their relationship.

"Thank you for giving me the push I needed. I'm still concerned about you. I always will be concerned, but you're right that it's your life. I'll see you at work-Andy," he'd replied to her. She stood at the counter staring at her phone. She thought it over, 'the push I needed,' wondering what Andy was saying with that. She'd heard him not really complaining, but concerned about his relationship with Sandra for quite some time. Had he finally figured that out? She continued to stare at her phone, hoping the answer would appear. Nothing else did. She only saw the same text from Andy, and finally, she sighed and put the phone down as she continued to get ready for work.

"Oh, you're still here. I thought I'd missed you," Sharon looked up as Rusty walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Rusty. I'm just about to leave for the day. Did you sleep well?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I did," he nodded. "I've got a math test today, and I finally had to close that book last night. The numbers were all blending together."

Sharon chuckled and turned to him, "I hope your test goes well. I'm sure you are ready. Are you staying after school for chess?"

"No, not today. The faculty sponsor has something else going on tonight. Wait, is Jack coming to dinner again?" he made a face as he said it.

Sharon shook her head, ignoring the face, "No, Jack will not be here for dinner all weekend. He's flying up to visit Ricky," she smiled proudly as she said it.

"Wow, really? That's new, isn't it?" he asked.

Sharon hummed as she closed up her travel coffee container, "It's not new that Jack has a son, but yes, it is new that he has taken an interest in visiting him. He's changed quite a bit, Rusty. I know you have always liked him, at least until you heard all the stories about him from the past, but I believe deep down the Jack I knew and married is still there." Sharon turned and smiled at Rusty. She shrugged, "So, he will not be here for dinner this weekend, but I do plan to have him around more. I hope that is okay."

"Umm, sure, I guess," Rusty shrugged. "It is your house, and you are married to the guy, which is weird all around. It's weird you've been married this long, and he's been gone, and on the other hand, it's weird you are married and don't live together. Wait, he's not moving in, is he?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "No, not at the moment. He's not moving in right now. I may allow him to stay here a few days while he's looking for a new place, but that would be it. He's in between places now, and I think it would be healthy for him to find his own condo right now, even if short term until we sort out everything."

Rusty nodded as he listened, "So, you might get back together with him?"

Sharon shrugged and gave a small smile, "I don't have an answer for that right now, Rusty. The one thing I can answer or tell you is that you are going to stay right here with me. You and I are a package deal, even for Jack, even with my still being married to him. I think any major changes will take time, and I'm not ready to make them after the weekend."

"Okay," Rusty shook his head. "Relationships just confuse me."

Sharon gave a small chuckle and dropped her head, "I feel the same way, Rusty, and I'm the adult in the middle of one. I've got to get to work," she reached over and patted his arm. "We can talk about this later. Jack won't be around all weekend."

"Yeah, okay," he waved her off. "Are you going to be around tonight? I was thinking of catching a movie with a couple friends."

Sharon thought about her schedule for a moment before she shook her head, "No, actually, I promised the team I would go out and get a drink with them. I am not planning to stay long, but I do want to keep my promise."

"Oh, wow, like the whole team? Do you need me to come and pick up everyone if they are drinking?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, Andy will be there for Provenza and anyone else. I'm planning to have one drink, early," she enunciated.

"How is Lieutenant Flynn? You haven't mentioned him lately, and I haven't been by your work with all my chess club stuff after school. Is his ex-wife coming tonight too?"

Sharon started to answer, but she paused when Rusty asked about Sandra. "Honestly, I'm not sure," she finally told Rusty. "Maybe not," she clarified as she thought back to her text message from earlier. "I guess I'll see tonight. Have a good day. I'm going to be late."

Sharon wasn't late for work, but Andy almost was. She arrived, surprised to find that Andy wasn't there yet. He'd sent her a text earlier, and as she calculated the time, she realized he must have had a later than normal start. He wasn't one to text in the car, something she appreciated about him. She nodded to the team. Buzz had brought doughnuts, and they were being passed around the office. Sharon waved to them, declining a doughnut, but she did stop to address them.

"If we can wrap up by 4:00, we can get out of here early to go get those drinks," she gave a small smile. "I think we've all earned it after the long hours."

"I never thought a Friday night in bed by 9:00 sounded so good," Amy grinned. "That's my plan for tonight."

Sharon chuckled and nodded, "I have had similar thoughts, Amy. Let's get to work." Sharon nodded at them and moved toward her office to get to work. She got her things settled and realized then that her coffee was still down in her car. She weighed the pros and cons of getting it, deciding to leave it there and make a cup of tea. Her travel mug was well insulated, and she had a suspicion the coffee would still be hot at the end of the day. After getting her items stowed away for the day, she walked to the break room to start her tea. It took her almost 10 minutes, but she finished making it and started back to her office with her tea in hand. As she was walking, she spotted Andy rounding the corner from the elevator.

"Andy, hi," she said, a bit out of breath. She realized she had been holding her breath and finally let it out. She was nervous, and she wasn't sure why. She and Andy had exchanged texts, and things seemed to be okay between them, but maybe it was just Sharon realizing that they were standing in almost the exact same spot they'd argued the day before.

"Morning, Sharon," he gave her a small smile. "I just wanted-" he started to say.

Sharon spoke at the same time, "Andy, I am sorry-" she stopped, and he stopped when the realized they were talking over each other. She nodded to him, "You go first."

He sighed, "Look, can we just forgive and forget? I'm sorry for sticking my head into your life. I was just concerned as a friend."

She nodded, "I need to say the same. I'm sorry too, and I know you are concerned. You're the best friend I have, Andy, and I shouldn't have said what I did. It was wrong of me to accuse you of giving up and walking away. I know that circumstances were different. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," he told her. He nodded to the office, "Anything going on in there?"

She shrugged, "Just paperwork. I'm sure Provenza has his newest crossword out and is hiding it between his paperwork."

Andy looked to the floor and chuckled. She saw a small smile appear, and when he looked up, their eyes met, "That's why I can't stay mad at you. You can always make me smile. I may have brought a peace offering," he gestured to his bag, and Sharon looked to it. She recognized it as his lunchbox, and she looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

"I was late today because I stopped and picked up a couple of muffins, just two," he winked at her. "They would go well with your tea," he nodded to her cup. "Can I interest you in one while we promise not to argue anymore?"

Sharon smiled brightly, "I'd like that." They walked toward the break room again where Sharon sat down at a table while Andy poured himself a cup of coffee. Sharon, not wanting to dig through his lunch, waited for Andy to pull out the muffins.

"Cranberry," she grinned at him when she watched him put the muffin in front of her. He shrugged.

"Well, you said it, that I'm your best friend. You're mine, and with that, it helps to know your favorite muffin flavor. Besides, cranberry is an odd favorite flavor, but I've always remembered it with you."

She smiled and looked to his, gesturing with her hand, "I'm guessing yours is pumpkin, then?"

He grinned and winked, "You guessed correctly, Captain."

The two spent the next few minutes in light discussion, mostly talking about work. As they finished, Andy looked to Sharon again.

"What?" she asked as she noticed he was staring at her. "Do I have muffin on my face?"

He shrugged, "No, just thinking. I don't want to argue, but may I ask a question?"

"Yes," she said slowly, eyeing him.

He raised his hands in defense, "Jack isn't holding something over you, is he? I'm just worried, Sharon."

She nodded and pursed her lips, "He is not. I have seen a new side, or rather, his old side, and I think the Jack I once knew is trying again. I am cautious, yes, but he's been doing well, Andy. He's been back in town over two months now, working, and he's not drinking. People deserve a second chance."

Andy just nodded, "They do. I just hope he doesn't blow it. You deserve to be happy, Sharon. Now," he stood, "that's all I'm going to ask for now. I will ask if you are still planning to get drinks with the team tonight?"

"I am," she stood and nodded to him. "Thank you for the muffin. I'll repay you in cranberry." Andy gave her an odd look and shook his head. Sharon grinned, "I'll buy your cranberry soda tonight. We can talk more then."

The day continued, and the team worked through their endless stacks of paperwork. By 3:30, they were done with everything, all paperwork turned in and awaiting signatures on Sharon's desk. They still had other tasks to complete, but shortly after 4:00, Sharon nodded to Provenza from her desk to give the go-ahead for the team to pack up for the day. Andy knocked on her door as he opened it moments later.

"You coming?" he looked to her.

"I will after I sign all of this," she nodded to the large stack. He eyed it and frowned.

"That's not going to fly," he shook his head. "I know you," he said as he stepped further into the room. He pulled a pen from his pocket and sat down in the chair. "Hand me all of the files from Amy and Julio. I can sign those, while you can take care of your crazy lieutenants," he rolled his eyes and smiled as he said it.

"You don't have to stay and sign paperwork," she told him and pulled the files toward her. He rolled his eyes, sat down in the chair, and he gestured to her.

"What are friends for, Sharon?" he gave a small shrug. "Besides, you promised to return the cranberry favor, right?"

It was another hour later the two finished. They hadn't said much during the hour, as each was busy reading reports. When they finally finished, they collected their things and walked out together. The team had gone just down the street, walking distance away, so after putting Sharon's things in her car, the two continued their walk.

"Any plans for the weekend?" Sharon asked, hoping she'd picked a safe topic to discuss.

"Oh, well, Provenza is going to come over and watch a spring training game on tv with me. Dodgers are playing. Typical stuff," he shrugged. "What about you?"

"Rusty needs new shoes," she chuckled. "I've told him he can shop on his own, but he doesn't trust his own taste. So, we are going to do that."

Andy just nodded, "Nicole mentioned she was doing the same with the boys. All these boys and their growing feet," he grinned.

"How is Nicole?" Sharon smiled as she mentioned Andy's daughter. "Please give her my best."

"I will," Andy nodded. "She asks about you all the time, but she's doing well. She and Dean are enjoying married life. The boys are keeping her busy, but she loves it."

"That's great to hear," Sharon said. The two walked in comfortable silence the next few minutes until they reached the bar. Andy held the door for Sharon, and the two found the rest of the team at a corner table. After maneuvering through the crowd, they arrived, and the team gestured to the two empty seats.

"Captain, we were wondering if you were going to come at all," Buzz leaned over toward her.

"Ma'am, I had all confidence you wouldn't let us down," Julio grinned. "Plus, I figured Lieutenant Flynn would convince you to walk here with him."

Sharon chuckled, "I promised I would come. One drink," she nodded to them. "I'm going to have one drink, and that's it."

"Flynn, I'm going to need you to take me home," Provenza nodded to Andy.

"Shocking," Andy mocked and shook his head. "I'm not surprised. Let me guess that you'll need me to bring you back here tomorrow to get your car."

"Well, yeah, it's the least you can do," Provenza shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?" Andy said, now irritated. "I'm taking you home. You're the one drinking, so it's not the LEAST I can do." Sharon and the rest of the team started to chuckle at the banter. She looked to the table where several water glasses were sitting, and she met Amy's gaze and nodded to the glasses.

"None of those are taken, Captain," Amy gestured to the water glasses. "Help yourself." Sharon nodded her thanks and started to sip as the banter continued.

"You do owe me! I drove all the way out to your house last night to catch the end of the Dodger game with you, and you weren't even home. How many meetings did you go to last night?"

Andy looked up, surprised, "Just one. I went to one meeting. Lay off, Provenza."

"Well, where were you then? I came by at 8:30," he told him.

"Out," Andy shrugged, and when Provenza kept staring at him, Andy sighed and rolled his eyes. By this point, the rest of the team, Sharon included, had all turned toward Andy. "I was with Sandra, okay?"

Provenza narrowed his eyes and looked to Andy, "What time did you go home?"

"Provenza!" Andy exclaimed.

"Well? You're among friends, Flynn," Provenza told him.

"I didn't go home! Are you happy? This is my spare suit, the one I keep in a garment bag in my car. I went to see Sandra, and I didn't go home," he explained and sighed.

Sharon, who almost spit out her drink, at Andy's omission, tried to compose herself again. Here, she had thought Andy's early morning text meant he'd ended things with Sandra, but apparently, things with Sandra had gone in a completely different direction. She felt him looking at her, so she turned to see that he was staring at her, his eyes with a sad stare. "Ahh, I think I'll get our drinks now," she nodded to Andy and stood. Right now, she needed to think about anything other than Andy staying with Sandra. The problem was she didn't know why it was bothering her so much. Of course, she wanted the best for Andy, but she wasn't sure Sandra was it. Still, there was another nagging feeling she had, nothing she could pinpoint, but just a nagging feeling that there was more to the mess than she could pinpoint.


	13. Chapter 13

Sharon just wanted to go home. She'd heard enough, and she was both tired and frustrated. It had been a long evening, an evening she'd hoped to enjoy, but after learning that Andy had stayed with Sandra, Sharon just had an upset stomach she couldn't shake. She had hoped a glass of wine would help; it didn't, and after making small talk with the team, she decided to call it a night. Besides, Jack had told her he would call from the airport; he had an 8:00 flight, and with it being almost 7:00, she wanted to talk to him before he left for the weekend.

"I'm going to get going," she looked to everyone, knowing if she stayed longer, she just might end up drinking away her frustrations. They had all had several drinks, everyone but Sharon and of course, Andy, but she knew they would be safe going home with him.

"I'll walk you back to your car," Andy leaned over to tell her. She turned to him and shook her head.

"I'll be fine. No need for you to leave, Andy," she offered a small smile.

"No," he stood and looked to the table, "they all need to go home. I'm going to get my car too and swing by here to pick up everyone. You're doing me a favor," he smiled. "I'm ready to go too."

Sharon just nodded; she couldn't really argue. They had been in the bar for quite some time, even though it was still early in the evening. She said goodbye to the team, and she made her way to the door where she waited for Andy, who was settling things at the bar. She chuckled at that; Andy didn't drink, yet he almost always paid for Provenza. He was a good friend; she knew that, and as much as it sickened her to think he was making a mistake with Sandra, she'd promised herself and Andy, too, that it wouldn't be an issue between them.

The city was bustling as they walked back to the parking garage. Sharon didn't have much to say, which was unusual when with Andy.

"So, Jack is visiting Ricky this weekend?" Andy asked out of the blue. They had been quiet up to this point, and now they are almost in the garage. Sharon had been lost in thought and had to focus to answer Andy.

"Hmm, yes," she nodded. "He's flying up there tonight."

"Well, I hope he is there for Ricky. He's a good kid, Sharon. All your kids are great, and I include Rusty in that. You've done a great job with him."

Sharon smiled at the mention of her kids, "Thank you. Rusty asked about you this morning. I think he's missing the team right now. With his chess club after school most days, he's not seeing the team a lot."

Andy just nodded, both aware of the other reason Andy hadn't been around. The two weren't spending time together like they had been before Andy had broken the news to Sharon he was trying to fix things with Sandra.

"Yeah, well, you really have done a lot with Rusty. I hope he realizes just how good he has it with you, and I hope Jack realizes how lucky he is Ricky is giving him a chance. I'd give anything for that. Nate still isn't interested in talking to me much. Maybe it will improve now that I'm around Sandra more. I don't know," he sighed.

They reached the elevator, and Sharon pushed the button and turned to Andy, "I know you are a good father, Andy. You've changed so much, all for the better. He will see that. I have faith," she nodded. Two other officers joined them at the elevator, so their conversation ended. The glanced at each other as they stepped onto the elevator, and it was a quiet ride to their floor. Andy continued to walk next to Sharon as they approached her car.

"Thank you for walking back with me, even though I would have been fine," she rolled her eyes.

"I know," he shrugged. "Felt like old times, taking a walk with you. Of course," he rolled his eyes, "it's definitely not as scenic as the beach." Sharon nodded and looked to the floor. The beach had been their favorite place to walk and unwind after a busy week of work. They would often go there Friday or Saturday nights either before or after dinner out to walk together. They'd spent a lot of time walking a lot of miles at the beach, again, something they hadn't done now in quite some time.

"It's getting late, at least for me," she grinned. "I'm going to go home, take a hot bath, and go to bed early."

He nodded, "I'm going to get the rest of them home."

"Do you need help?" she asked.

He shook his head, "Nah, I'll be fine. We have this down to a science, really. Mike probably only had one beer even if he's trying to hide it, and if that's the case, he will take Julio and probably Sykes home on his way. We'll be fine. I can get Provenza and Buzz. You go home and enjoy your weekend."

"You too," she said quickly. "I hope it's, it's, it's a good one," she finally said. She wasn't sure what she wanted to suggest to Andy, but she knew she didn't want to wish him well as he spent the weekend with Sandra. Andy nodded.

"Night, Sharon," he said quietly. His eyes met hers, and she nodded in return and looked away quickly.

"Night, Andy," she said, still facing away, and she started to say more, but her phone rang. Andy looked to her as she dug it from her purse.

"I'll see you Monday," she nodded to him and fumbled for her phone and keys. She had a good idea about the caller and didn't want to speak to Jack in front of Andy. He nodded and started for his car. She answered when Andy was a few steps away and as she was about to get into her car.

"Hi, how is everything?" she said as she got settled in the car.

"Good," Jack told her. She could detect a relaxed and happy tone to his voice, and she smiled as she turned on the car. Sharon hoped the weekend would repair a lot of damage between Jack and Ricky. She wasn't naïve to think it would fix everything, but she knew Jack was trying and hoped Ricky would see that too.

"I'm very proud of you, Jack," she stated. All week long, Sharon had a nagging feeling that something would come up to prevent Jack from going. It was habit, really. Jack had disappointed all of them in the past, and she somewhat expected it to happen again with his trip to see Ricky. She was pleasantly surprised the trip was still on schedule.

"It's long overdue, Sharon. I know that. I am looking forward to the weekend with Ricky, even if I have to watch this tv series I bought him," he chuckled. Sharon laughed too.

"Take him out for a pizza. You can't go wrong. Pizza is his favorite food," she told Jack.

"Hmm, not burgers? I thought he liked burgers," Jack told her.

"He does," she said casually, "but pizza is his favorite. Burgers, that's Rusty. Ricky loves pizza, almost any kind, so tell him what you want, or you will end up eating something awful like broccoli and ham together on a pizza," she chuckled.

"Ugh, he eats that combo? That sounds terrible," Jack told her.

"He does," Sharon continued to laugh. She was enjoying her conversation with Jack, updating him on their kids, even though her mind told her that as Ricky's father, Jack should know what his own son likes to eat. "I'm telling you that he will eat anything on pizza. Years ago, I thought he was trying to gross me out with his odd toppings, which he might have been, but he will literally eat anything on pizza."

"Noted," Jack chuckled. "So, how was your day?"

"Hmm, paperwork," she sighed. "It's done, though, and I just had a drink with the team. I'm going home now, at least after I get off the phone with you. I'm currently sitting in my car in the parking garage."

"Just be careful, Sharon," he told her. "I know you're a police captain, and I haven't been around, but I am now, and I want you to be careful."

"I will," she nodded to herself. "Andy walked back with me. I'm fine."

"Flynn," he sighed.

"Jack," she said quietly. "Let's discuss anything else."

"Okay," Jack replied. "I called a realtor, a friend of a friend today. I realize I was asking too much, to stay with you, and I put you in a bad spot. This guy is going to help me find a place to rent. I told him I needed a studio or one-bedroom place, nothing crazy, but I want a decent place for you to visit, as well as the kids."

"Oh, okay," Sharon said, the surprise evident in her voice.

"What? What's wrong? Sharon, I thought you would be happy about that. I'm not forcing you to make a decision," he told her.

"I am," she shook her head and continued, "I am happy for you, Jack. I mean, I am glad you want to find a place, but I had already thought about and decided you could stay at the condo at least until you found something. I wouldn't mind."

"Really?" he asked. "Sharon, I am not going to make things awkward. Rusty's there, and like you said before, it's tight with three of us, and things aren't exactly normal between you and me."

"Jack, I think it's a possibility if you want it to be," she told him. "We can discuss it after the weekend. Did you drive to the airport?"

"No, a colleague dropped me off after work. I'll catch a ride back to my car Sunday night," he told her.

"I'll pick you up," Sharon said quickly. The words spilled out of her mouth, and she almost didn't realize she'd said them. "I'll get you on Sunday. We can talk some on Sunday. I want to hear all about the weekend."

"I'd really enjoy that, Sharon," Jack told her. "I need to get going. They are going to board the flight soon."

"Have a good time, Jack," Sharon smiled. "Enjoy this time with our son."

"I will," he told her. "Bye, Sharon. I love you."

"Bye Jack," she said and hung up quickly, not realizing until after she'd hung up that she hadn't told him she loved him. She thought she still did; she was letting him back into her life. Perhaps it was time to do that even more, to let her guard down with Jack. She didn't want him to accuse her of not trying, of putting up walls for him. That had been an argument in the past, and he'd been right, but Sharon had guarded herself from the problems he'd also created. They'd both had issues in the past, and she didn't want that again, so as she was recognizing that now, she made a pact with herself to spend the weekend thinking about Jack and what letting him back into her life would mean for her. She needed to decide just what that meant, what walls she was going to tear down for Jack. She had until Sunday night to figure that out because by then, she wanted to have some type of open and honest conversation with him about their future, whatever that might be.


	14. Chapter 14

Sharon tapped her foot and continued to look around as she waited. She had decided to surprise Jack at the airport. She'd already told him she would pick him up, but he had no idea she was waiting inside at the security checkpoint area. She'd missed him over the weekend, which was funny because he'd spent more time out of her life than in it over the past decades. Finally, he seemed to be turning a corner, making an effort, and she wasn't about to let him go, not when he was trying to be the husband she had always wanted.

The weekend sounded like it had been somewhat successful. She'd spoken to Ricky earlier in the day after he'd dropped off Jack at the airport. Ricky wasn't exactly sold on Jack's change of lifestyle; he still had his doubts, but Sharon knew that he had at least enjoyed his time with his dad.

 _"It was kinda awkward, Mom," he'd told her when they spoke earlier. "I mean, he's my dad, but it's like we didn't know what to talk about for a lot of the weekend. He doesn't even know me. I'm not sure he's really changed. I want to believe it, but I am not sure I can."_

 _"I understand, Ricky," Sharon sighed. "Just keep giving him a chance. You can take things slowly and see how it goes with him. He will always be your dad, and while he hasn't been a good one, I hope that is changing."_

 _"Mom, you sound like you're buying into his changed routine. What's the deal?" Ricky asked her._

 _Sharon sighed and shook her head, not that Ricky could see that, "Ricky, I'm not sure yet. It's complicated."_

It was complicated, trying to figure out her emotions, but she'd spent a lot of the weekend trying to do just that. She had relationships on her mind, and it didn't help that she couldn't get the idea of Andy and Sandra out of her head. That, she believed, was a mistake, but she couldn't tell Andy that; he had to figure it out. She also realized that maybe she wasn't the best person to assess his relationship, as one of his closest friends, she didn't want to cause any problems with Sandra getting some wrong impression of her. She and Andy were friends, just friends, and even though they had spent a lot of the last year spending time together, they were just very good friends.

She looked up again, and this time, she smiled when she saw Jack walking slowly toward her. His eyes met hers at almost the same time, and they both smiled at each other. Sharon remained in her spot; she couldn't get much closer without getting into the security area, and she shrugged as Jack walked up to her, his hands in his pockets.

"Hi," he said casually to her as he met her gaze. "I'm really glad to see you."

"Hi," she smiled warmly at him. "I know I could have waited outside, but I decided it was worth the $5 I will lose in parking fees to meet you here."

He grinned and nodded, "I'm glad you did. I'll even pay for the parking," he flashed a grin at Sharon. That was enough for her; she started to laugh and then pulled on his hand. The two moved into an embrace, and she looked up at him, and the two kissed. For Sharon, it surprised her, the kiss. It felt nice; that was probably the best way to describe it. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was familiar. She figured her nerves were throwing her off, and when the two broke apart, Jack took her hand in his and gestured toward the doors. "Let's get out of here. I would prefer to kiss you in private."

Sharon chuckled as she leaned into Jack's side, and the two started toward the exit, "Tell me about your visit. I'm so glad you went to see Ricky, Jack."

"It was good," Jack nodded. Sharon detected a tone to his voice and lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him, and he sighed as he spoke, "Sharon, I feel like I don't even know my son. It was strange. I'm not sure I'm cut out for it."

"Jack," she said quietly, trying to let him vent, but also trying to give him some guidance, "There is no being 'cut out for it' because you are his father. You, Jack Raydor, have a son and a daughter. It's going to take time, to get to know each of them again, but I know you can do it. You've done so much, made so much progress already."

Jack glanced at her, a slight frown on his face, and he nodded, "I guess you are right. I just don't like feeling like an idiot father."

"You aren't an idiot," she sighed. "This first visit will be the hardest, and it's over. You survived. Each visit, every call, Jack, and it will get easier," she squeezed his hand.

"You know how to sweet talk anyone," he winked at her and sighed.

She shrugged, "My detectives might disagree; they think I'm the opposite of that," she smiled.

"Oh, believe me," Jack chuckled, "I've seen that side too. I remember it well."

"Hmm, well, so far, your wife," she enunciated, "would like to take you for a walk on the beach. Are you interested? I thought it might be nice to walk and talk. You can stretch your legs, and the beach this time of the evening is just gorgeous."

He eyed her, "The beach, huh?"

She nodded, "I love the beach. It's a great spot to think. It won't be crowded now that it's dinnertime, and it's a cool evening, perfect for a walk," she bit her lip as she waited for his response.

"Well," he leaned in toward her, "anywhere my WIFE wants to go is fine with me. I'm very happy to spend time with you, Sharon."

The two maneuvered their way through the airport parking garage to Sharon's car. Jack offered to drive, but Sharon shook her head, "Nope, the beach is the surprise, my favorite spot."

"I can't argue with that," Jack chuckled as he situated himself in the passenger seat. "It's hard to argue with a beautiful woman who wants to take a romantic walk on the beach."

Sharon eyed Jack from her seat, "I never said it was romantic."

"I did," he winked. "I hope it is."

She hummed as she started the car and pulled out of her spot, "It could be," she blushed as she turned to him. "I don't know why I'm blushing. We've been married over 30 years, and I shouldn't feel, well, ahh, I shouldn't find it strange to take you to the beach."

"Yes, but we've only just decided to work on things again, at least I hope," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"That is one of the things I wanted to discuss, yes," she nodded. "I'd like to talk about our future."

Sharon's phone rang, and she sighed when she saw it was Chief Taylor. She answered and spent most of the drive to the beach talking to him about a budget meeting they were scheduled to have the next day. Jack leaned his head back in the seat and dozed on the drive. Even he knew that it was hard to get off the phone when Chief Taylor called, so he rested while Sharon finished her call.

"Chief, I need to let you go. I'm busy this evening, but I will be there in the morning for our meeting. Bye now," she said sweetly and hung up before Chief Taylor could say anything further. Jack cracked open an eye and looked at Sharon.

"Did you just hang up on your boss?" he chuckled.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I listened to him for almost 15 minutes, Jack," she sighed. "That man will talk all evening, and I have better plans." She nodded to the beach, and Jack looked out from his seat. They had made good time; it was a Sunday evening, and the beach was nearly deserted. With it being March, there was still a chill in the night air, and Jack wasn't sure about a walk.

"You sure you want to walk? We can sit here and talk and," he shrugged and looked around, "anything else."

Sharon started to laugh and felt herself blushing again, "I'd really like to walk and talk, Jack," she smiled at him. "We might be able to sneak in more here or there."

"Ahh, so they lady admits she's interested," he winked and opened his door. Sharon opened hers, and the two stepped out of the car. Sharon removed her shoes and dropped them in the car. She looked to Jack, who looked to his own feet and frowned. "I've never been big on the beach, Sharon."

"I know," she sighed, "but I love the beach. I was hoping you might enjoy it, walking with me. We never really did that because you always said you hated the beach."

"I just hate the feeling of the gritty sand. Things get so messy," he made a face. Sharon walked around to his side of the car and offered her hand.

"We don't have to stay long. This is just a special place to me, a place I haven't been in a long time, and I'd like to share it with you. There aren't even 20 cars here; it won't be crowded," she nodded to the nearly empty parking lot. Jack nodded and took her hand in his.

The two started to walk, Sharon moving closer to Jack in the crisp air. Jack pulled her hand tighter in his, and once they had almost reached the water, Sharon started to talk.

"I thought a lot about things over the weekend," she told him.

"I hope good thoughts, at least for once," he chuckled quietly and kissed her head.

"They were," she said. "Jack, I have been hurt over and over, but I still want to make this work. I'm not ready for you to move into the condo with Rusty and me, but I would like for you to stay there while you find somewhere to live. I think it would be good for us to be close to each other and see if this is going to work. Moving in together, hopefully in the future, needs to come with time, and I hope you are okay with that."

He nodded as she spoke, and when she finished, he looked at her, "I'm going to ask to be clear. I don't want to make mistake this time around or have any expectations, but Sharon, where would I be staying at the condo?"

She blushed again slightly. Jack stopped walking to turn toward her. He waited until she met his gaze, and then she nodded and bit her lip, "I think we need to start with you on the couch. I know we are married, but there is Rusty to consider, and I'm just not quite there yet, Jack."

He sighed, "Sharon, this was always one of our problems. You turned away from me, didn't want me as your husband. I am your husband, and if we are going to try and make this work, I can't live on the couch."

She put her hand on his chest, "I said I think we need to start that way, Jack. I didn't say it was forever. Look, I'm really trying. I want to be around you, I do, but I also don't want a 17-year-old knowing all of our business right now. Can we agree to try this?"

Jack sighed and started to nod, "I just want to be with you, Sharon. I love you, and we are married. That hasn't changed. What has change, for me," he admitted, "is that I don't want to lose you again. I'm done running, with the lifestyle I thought I wanted."

"I know," she said quietly and leaned up to kiss him. He returned the kiss, his hands on her elbows. The two stood there kissing, and finally, Jack broke the silence.

"What are you going to tell the kids, all of them?" he asked.

"We can tell Rusty that we are working on things, but you are staying until you find a place to live. Emily and Ricky, I'd like to keep out of this still. Rusty doesn't talk to them, and right now, we need to figure this out before we involve them. They saw enough growing up," she looked to him.

He nodded, "Fine. I am going to be affectionate around Rusty. I hope you understand that. He may live there, but I'm not going to hide my feelings for my wife."

"Okay, okay," she nodded. "Rusty is sensitive to this, but I will agree that we can't hide from him."

"Thank you," Jack leaned in as he spoke quietly. He pulled Sharon toward him and kissed her again. When he pulled back, he nodded to her, "Can we go? I'm just not a beach person."

She chuckled and put her head on his chest, "I'm sorry. Yes, we can go. I hoped we might enjoy this together, but we'll find something we both enjoy."

"Well," he chuckled, "I have ideas."

"Jack," she said sternly. "I'm trying to rebuild our relationship."

"I am too!" he exclaimed and turned to her with a shocked expression. "We just have different ideas about that."

"Hmm, that we do," Sharon swatted at his chest and the two laughed as they walked back to the car. They were almost to the car, just at the base of the short bluff in front of the parking lot, and as they started to walk up the hill, Sharon looked up at the movement in front of her.

"Andy!" she exclaimed, and she stopped, causing Jack to run into her. Andy stopped in front of her, and Sharon noted he wasn't alone; Sandra ran into his back as well.

"Sharon," Andy looked to her, very surprised to see her. "I had no idea you were here."

"Ahh, same," she nodded. "My car is just over there," she nodded toward the parking area. Andy sighed and shook his head.

"We parked down that way," he gestured toward the other entrance. "Ahh, Sandra, remember Sharon?" he asked.

"Couldn't forget," Sandra said quietly as she looked at Sharon. "Hi, Sharon."

"Nice to see you again, Sandra," she said quietly and gestured to Jack behind her. "This is ahh, Jack, my husband."

"Hi, Jack Raydor," he flashed his smile at Sandra and stuck out his hand. He looked at Andy as he did that, "Flynn," he muttered. Sandra reached for Jack's hand and shook it while Sharon looked at Andy.

"Jack," Andy sighed under his breath and glanced at Sharon again. She could feel Andy was still looking at her and quickly looked away and turned her focus on Jack.

"Sharon, I didn't realize you were married," Sandra looked to Sharon and Jack and narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, over 30 years," she nodded. "We've been separated," Sharon said simply and nodded to Jack.

"We're working on things," Jack put his hands on Sharon's shoulder and grinned. He looked to Andy, "You know," he nodded to Andy and then toward Sharon, "because we are still married-we take our marriage seriously." Sharon could hear Andy sigh, and she glanced up to see he'd turned away to look at the beach. She looked to Sandra who was watching Andy, and she just felt like things had gotten awkward quickly.

Sharon wanted out of the situation. She didn't want Jack and Andy getting into it yet again; she was very much aware of just how Andy felt about Jack. She looked to the ground and noted Andy had a basket in his hand. "We were just leaving," she gave a small smile toward Andy and Sandra. "Ahh, looks like you are planning a picnic."

"That's right," Sandra looped her arm through Andy's. "I was just telling Andy this wasn't my idea of a good picnic spot, but he insisted. The sand is going to get in everything, and who comes to the beach this late for a picnic?" she grumbled.

"Hmm, I rather like the beach," Sharon nodded. She met Andy's gaze, and she could tell she'd caught him staring at her. "We won't bother you. We came here for a quick walk; Jack's been on a plane."

"Ahh, where did you go?" Sandra smiled at Jack.

"Oh, I was visiting our son," he said, enunciating the word 'our.' He looked to Andy and smirked at him, "I spent the weekend with our son, and now I'm home. Sharon?" he looked to her, ready to go.

"Ahh, yes, well, good to see you both," she gave a polite nod to Andy and Sandra. "Sandra, it's a lovely night on the beach. I hope you enjoy it. Andy," she smiled up at him and instantly regretted looking into his eyes. She could see a longing there she couldn't quite place, and it immediately took her back to their walks on the beach together. At that moment, she wanted to walk there on the beach with him, but he wasn't hers; he was working on things with his ex-wife, and she was married. "Andy," she said again, "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Sharon," he said quietly as he smiled at her.

"I think Sharon and Jack have the right idea, Andy," Sandra scoffed as she pushed her hair out of her face. "It's cold here already."

Sharon gave Andy a small smile, and he gave her a quick roll of his eyes, "Sandra, trust me for once. It's a great place for a picnic," he nodded to the beach. "Night," he said again, and the four parted ways. Sharon stood there, unaware she was staring.

"You didn't know Flynn was going to be here, did you?" Jack asked her. She looked to him and saw him frowning.

"No!" she said almost too loudly, and then she shook her head. "No, I had no idea. We both like this beach. I know," she rolled her eyes, "of all the beaches in the county."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking," he sighed.

"Let's get back to us," Sharon smiled sweetly at Jack as she refocused on him. "I'd really like to continue talking this evening. I'm inviting you to stay at the condo for awhile, until you find a place. I know it's not perfect; it's not the exact solution you want, as I know you want us to live as a real married couple again, but I feel like sharing a space and being around each other is the first step. So, what do you say, Jack?"


	15. Chapter 15

"Mind if I join you?" Jack asked. He'd surprised Sharon; she turned from her spot at the sink to find him leaning against the bathroom door, in his pajamas now, and with his toothbrush in hand. She glanced at him, her husband of now over 30 years and gestured to the sink.

"Help yourself," she said, still with lotion on her hands. She had been going through her bedtime ritual, and she'd left the door to the bathroom open. Rusty had gone to bed, leaving Sharon and Jack to deal with this new situation.

"Thanks, and I appreciate you letting me stay here for a few days while I find a place. I hope Rusty is really okay with it," he told her as he started working on his nightly routine.

"He'll be okay," Sharon shrugged. "He knows you, and he can't argue we are married. I'm sure he finds all this a bit strange, you on the couch, but it is what it is."

"You know, that can be corrected," he met her gaze in the mirror and winked at her.

"Jack," she sighed and shook her head.

"I know," he held up his hands. "I just want to be with you, Sharon. I even just want to sleep next to you again. As you said, we are married, and I'm really trying, but I'm not going to push. We'll get there; I believe that," he nodded.

Sharon finished putting on her face cream and turned to watch Jack with his routine. Jack glanced at her, "You're still beautiful, Sharon," he gave her a small smile. "I know you put on all that cream and anti-aging stuff there," he gestured, "but you still look like the college girl I remember."

Sharon started to chuckle and shake her head. She crossed her arms, "Jack, maybe we need to get you to the optometrist to have your eyes checked. Your glasses may not be strong enough. I'm old, just as you are, and I've had two children. The wrinkles tripled after Rusty came to live here," she grinned, "but thank you."

"I still see you as the 20-year-old in that legal ethics elective we both ended up taking in college," he winked. "Long time ago."

"It was," she sighed. "It's been a good, but a long day. I'm going to leave you here and head to my room to change. Night, Jack."

"You need any help, you let me know," he flashed a grin as she was about to turn. Sharon just shook her head and walked into her room, closing the door to the bathroom. Her hallway door was already closed, and she quickly changed into her pajamas. She'd always liked nightgowns, silky feeling ones, even when Jack wasn't around, and she put on her normal one and then her robe over it. She opened her door to the living room and almost ran into Jack as he was walking back to the couch.

"I just wanted to see if you needed anything else," she gestured to the couch where she had blankets and pillows waiting for him.

"Just to kiss you before bed," he gave her a soft smile. Sharon smiled brightly at him, and the two met in an embrace for a few moments. Things started to get a little heated, hands moving everywhere, and finally Sharon pulled back, her head against Jack's.

"I'm going to bed now. Sleep well, and if I am called out in the middle of the night, I'll try not to wake you," she said quietly. She was still trying to catch her breath, but she leaned up and kissed him quickly before she turned and walked back to her bed. Jack stood in her doorway and watched. He gave her a soft smile as she climbed into bed and pulled up her covers.

"Door open or closed?" Jack asked her from the doorway.

"Open is fine, Jack. Get some sleep; we can talk more tomorrow," she said and reached to turn off her lamp.

The next morning, Sharon was humming in the kitchen as she prepared breakfast. She had coffee on, had cut up fruit, and she had toast in the toaster. Rusty walked around the corner and plopped in a chair.

"Morning," he said, still sleepy even though he'd already had a shower.

"Good morning," she smiled at him. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, fine," he waved off. "I'll be so ready for spring break here in April."

"I'm sure," she grinned. "I am still planning to take a couple days off to do something with you," she told him.

"Cool," he nodded and looked to the couch. "Is Jack part of our plans then?"

"I don't know," Sharon pursed her lips. "I had not thought that far yet."

Rusty nodded again, "So, he really stayed on the couch?" Jack was in the shower now, but Rusty had checked on things when he'd first gotten up, almost surprised to find Jack sleeping on the couch.

"He did, Rusty. I told you he was going to stay there," Sharon said, looking at him with an odd expression. "Why?"

"I just can't figure out you two. You're like maybe getting back together, and he is your husband, but he stayed on the couch. You keep saying it's complicated, and I know you said he had many flings while he was away, so you're okay with all that because I'm not sure I would be?"

Sharon felt herself flush; she really didn't want to discuss this with Rusty, but truthfully, she really didn't want to think about it at all. Yes, she was well aware Jack had been with many women, making him unfaithful to her, but she was trying to forgive that. She was a practicing Catholic, and while infidelity was not something she could easily excuse, it was a sin she was trying to forgive. Everyone sinned; one of Jack's sins was infidelity. He was here now, and she had to either accept Jack, faults and all, and move on, or she had to cut him loose. She wasn't ready to cut him loose; he was trying and had admitted he'd made mistakes. She had too, even if they didn't look like Jack's mistakes. She looked to find Rusty staring back at her, the concern evident on his face.

"Rusty," she paused, trying to find the right wording, "I will not excuse what Jack did, but just as you love your mom, faults and all, I am trying to do the same with Jack. It's not perfect; it never will be perfect, but I'm trying. I always ask you to try, to try with your mom. I can't make Jack always do the right thing, but I can hope he will. The same is true with your mom. In the end, I'm trying to trust Jack, just as I hope you can do the same with your mom."

"So, what happens if that trust is broken? Like, for me, what happens if my mom breaks that trust again?" he asked.

Sharon sighed and shook her head, "I can't give you a perfect answer. It might be something you can deal with and accept from her, and it might not. What happens if she doesn't break your trust? It's not an easy situation, just as things with Jack are not easy, but for now, I'm trying to trust again."

"Is he like going to be on our couch indefinitely?" he asked nodding to the living room.

"Perhaps," she smiled slightly, trying not to delve into details with Rusty. "He's going to find his own place; we talked about that, but for now, he can stay here."

"So, the couch?" he asked.

"Rusty, where Jack sleeps shouldn't be of concern to you," she gave him a pointed look. The two stopped talking as they heard Jack's footsteps down the hall.

"Ahh, morning," he flashed his famous grin at Sharon and Rusty. Rusty looked to Sharon and rolled his eyes when he saw Sharon's smile light up the room. He looked to Jack, and he noted the two were staring at each other, giving each other a once over. He stood and cleared his food. Sharon had put the food on the counter, and while he and Sharon had talked, he'd eaten quickly.

"Yeah, morning, Jack," Rusty sighed. "I'm going to head out for school."

Sharon looked to him and then to Jack, shaking her head slightly toward Jack. "Rusty, we should be home for dinner tonight, around 7:00."

"Cool, see you then," he said. "I'm going to grab my bag." He moved quickly out of the kitchen, and when he had left, Jack walked over and put his arms around Sharon's waist.

"Morning," he said as he kissed her. Sharon sighed into it, and as Jack moved to kiss her neck, she rolled her head to the side, allowing him access. "I like your perfume."

Sharon froze at that statement, and she put her arms on Jack's shoulders. She suddenly felt like this was all wrong; Andy had given her that perfume last year, and it had quickly become her favorite. It wasn't a bad thing Jack liked it; it just didn't feel right, him kissing her neck, talking about a perfume Andy had given her. Yes, Jack was her husband, and Andy was her friend, but it seemed odd, her husband liking something her friend had given her. She pushed back, and she stepped away, leaving Jack there speechless.

"Did I say something?" he gave her an odd look, and Sharon could tell he was irritated. The two heard Rusty coming down the hall again.

"Bye," he yelled, and he opened and closed the door while Sharon looked at Jack. When it was quiet again, she looked at him.

"I just heard Rusty coming," she said quickly, hoping Jack wouldn't ask more. He eyed her.

"I thought we weren't going to hide from Rusty?" he asked.

Sharon just rolled her eyes, "It's complicated. I'm trying," she sighed.

Jack shook his head in disgust and looked to the floor, "Sharon, you're my wife, and I love you. I can kiss you, you know."

"I know!" she exclaimed and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said reaching for his hand. She squeezed it and waited for him to meet her gaze. He did, and she said it again, "I'm sorry. I'm trying."

"Okay," he simply nodded. "I'm trying to be patient."

"We'll get there, Jack," she offered him a small smile.

Sharon found her patience wearing thin by Thursday evening of that week. It had been a relatively quiet week at work. The team, most of them anyway, found themselves testifying in a court case, so they were in and out of the office all week. Sharon had piles and piles of paperwork to keep her occupied. Jack, apparently, had a similar situation. He'd been stuck at the office late almost every night of the week, dragging himself back into the condo after 7:00 almost every night. They'd hate late dinners, the three of them, with Jack going back to his paperwork after dinner each night. It felt normal and what a family would do. Sharon, knowing Jack was working at home, brought work home with her too, and the two spread out each evening, going about their jobs, until bedtime. Now, here it was Thursday evening, and Sharon's patience was almost gone. She'd watched Jack make up his bed in the living room each evening, and tonight, she wasn't sure she could watch it anymore. He'd spoken to his realtor a few times during the week, but with his busy schedule, he hadn't toured any places yet. He had three lined up to view on Saturday, but that was still a couple days away. Sharon realized he was serious about getting a place, and that made her decision now even easier. Jack was trying; he wasn't going to run, and he wanted her back in his life as his wife.

"Jack," she called quietly from the hallway entrance where she was leaning up against the wall watching him get his paperwork packed away so he could make up his bed. Jack stood and turned to her.

"Sharon," he smiled softly at her, "I thought you were still in the bathroom. If you are done, I'll go get ready for bed."

"I am done," she nodded, "but, I was thinking that when you get ready for bed, you can join me," she said, feeling her cheeks redden. "I mean, if you would like you can sleep in my room. It can't be comfortable sleeping there night after night. You can sleep with me, but for now, I just want to sleep," she enunciated. "I'm not ready for more yet."

He smiled brightly at her, "I'd love that. I want to sleep in the same bed as my wife, yes. Thank you, Sharon," he told her.

She gave him a single nod, "I'll be my, ahh, I'll be in the bedroom," she gestured and disappeared quickly. She was a nervous wreck; she'd just told her husband he could sleep in her bed. That shouldn't be so awful, yet it felt odd to her. She hoped she was making the right decision, but Jack was right; they were married. She was a little worried about what Rusty might say, but she'd told him, in not so many words, that Jack was her business. Rusty knew they were married, and she was getting more and more frustrated by the day, walking on eggshells around her husband. He was her business, and what they did or didn't do was only their business. It probably hadn't helped that she'd overheard a conversation the day before at work between Provenza and Andy. The break room door still wasn't fixed, and she hated that she'd overheard something so private.

 _"Please tell me there is an explanation for you today wearing the same shirt you had on yesterday," Provenza said to Andy. Sharon stopped in the hallway, ready to open the door and stepped back. She didn't want to interrupt, but the question had gone through her mind already too. It was hard not to notice; Andy had worn a light-yellow shirt the day before, and he had on the same one today. It was paired with a different suit, but it was the same shirt._

 _"What?" Andy asked. "I thought I had a spare shirt at Sandra's house with my suit. I didn't. I just had the suit, so it is what it is," he sighed._

 _"It's like the walk of shame parading around the office all day. I can't believe you are sleeping with her!" Provenza said to Andy._

 _"Well, we were married. We're trying to get back on track," Andy told him._

 _"Yeah, because the physical and emotional feelings mix so well. Idiot," Provenza mumbled._

 _"You're one to talk! Let's count the marriages," he said to Provenza._

 _"I'm the perfect one to talk BECAUSE of that reason," Provenza told him. "It's not going to work, letting physical and emotional mix. You know better than that. You're either back together or you aren't. From what you've told me over the last few weeks, you're not, but here you are, having your fun too. It's not going to work. You've said the two of you are very different people."_

 _"We are," Andy sighed, "but that's why I was hoping the physical side would help. I hoped we'd remember what we had. We never had a problem in that area."_

 _Sharon sighed in the hall; she really shouldn't be listening, but she also couldn't seem to pull herself away. She somewhat understood Andy, as she had a lot of the same thoughts lingering about Jack._

 _"Well, did it answer anything for you? You've been staying there a lot lately," Provenza asked him._

 _"No," Andy sighed, "and, that's the problem. "It's just different. I can't explain it. I don't know if we're just older or what," he trailed off._

 _"Maybe it's that you don't love each other-care to think about that?" Provenza asked._

 _"I just don't feel the same yet with her, Provenza. I hope that will change," he sighed._

 _"Idiot," Provenza said. "She's not the one, Flynn. Take it from someone who knows."_

 _"She could be, Provenza! She wants it to work," Andy exclaimed._

 _"Yes, but she also wants you to change just about everything about yourself to make it work. You shouldn't be doing that at all. Plus, you have said she still doesn't trust you or the drinking issue yet."_

 _"Well, can you blame her? I put her through it years ago," Andy stated._

 _"I can blame her. You've been sober for over 15 years now, Flynn! Take it or leave it, in my opinion. She knows you aren't drinking, but she doesn't want to trust you. That doesn't speak well to me. Look, I get she was hurt, but maybe, just maybe you two aren't really supposed to be back together."_

 _"Provenza, I think we both have things we want to change. She and I don't like a lot of the same things anymore. The physical is different, and I think we are just adjusting. I can change; I owe it to her," he said._

 _"Flynn, all you owed her was an apology for the drinking. You've done that, and you continue to apologize. You owed her that and the sober self you are now. Anything more, well," he shook his head, "I've warned you."_

 _"I hear ya, Provenza. I just want to be happy to be in love. That shouldn't be so difficult."_

Being in love was proving to be difficult for Sharon right now. She'd tiptoed away from the conversation at that point, going back to her office and waited for the guys to return to their desks before she went for her tea. That had been yesterday at work, and she'd spent most of Wednesday night staring at Jack while he worked. She was trying to figure out her own feelings of love and trust. She was pretty sure she was still in love with Jack, but she was finding it difficult to just talk to the man about that, to even invite him into her life again. So, she'd stayed silent Wednesday evening, but it had her not sleeping well. She'd been restless all day at work again, trying not to get into conversations with Andy. Things with him were fine, but she was having difficultly looking at him, knowing he was going home to Sandra. She chalked that up to her belief that Sandra was making life difficult for Andy, and she didn't like that. Andy deserved a woman who loved and respected him, and she believed Sandra was trying to change Andy too much. Sharon, she was trying NOT to do that to Jack, but instead was trying to meet Jack where he was in his life. So, she'd been nervous all day at work, thinking about what she wanted to do, and she'd finally just said it; she'd invited Jack back into her life, back into her bed. She was probably kidding herself that it would remain "sleep only." Yes, that would probably go on for a couple of days, but Jack was a charmer, and she was letting her walls crumble as the days passed. He was her husband, and she wanted to be back in love with him again. The problem was that she wasn't sure she was there yet. She also wasn't sure she would ever be to that point. Was Provenza right? Was Jack maybe no longer the one for her?


	16. Chapter 16

She hadn't slept well, not at all. Perhaps it was getting used to Jack again, used to another person in bed again, was what that had her out of sorts. She just couldn't sleep, and now, it was the middle of the day on Monday, and her lack of sleep over the last few nights was catching up with her. Jack had been staying in her room now for a few days; he'd been at the condo a week, and it was going well, everything was except for the sleeping part. Perhaps she was nervous about further intimacy with Jack, too, but whatever it was, she wasn't sleeping. Looking back on the past few nights, she had to admit, Jack did snore, and he snored more than she remembered. He was always hot too, throwing around the comforter, and rolling back and forth from side to side all night. It just felt off, and it hadn't felt like that years before, but she knew that was part of the problem; it had been years. She sighed as she sat at her desk, tired and frustrated. It shouldn't be this annoying to sleep in a bed next to your own husband, but she was having issues. She had to get some sleep.

Sharon was grateful that Jack hadn't pushed her for more over the last few nights, but the awkwardness was there. She knew he wanted more, and she was beginning to think she did too, but that just created more stress for her. Giving in crossed that boundary, crashed down her final walls, and it allowed Jack back into her life completely, well, almost because she wasn't going to grant him access to her bank accounts anytime soon. She'd learned that lesson when the kids were toddlers, but she wasn't sure how much longer the two could continue to sleep in the same room, the same bed, married to each other, without truly sleeping together. She sighed again and shook her head; her life was too complicated, and thinking about it made her sick to her stomach. Perhaps it would get better if they just crossed that line. The nervousness and awkwardness might finally go away, and she might look at him as her husband, truly her husband. She just didn't know.

While her mind drifted, she turned and looked to the team. They were hard at work, and she suspected they would catch a case at any moment; they hadn't had one in a few days, and it felt like a ticking time bomb; their luck was about to run out. She just didn't know when that call would come. It was a welcome break, as the team was busy looking through a couple of cold cases in the interim. She looked down at her paperwork and tried to focus. It was almost lunchtime, and that would help. Food would help, at least she hoped.

Sharon spotted movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked up, she saw Sandra entering the office. That now had her attention, and while her doors were closed and blinds open, she wished she could hear that conversation. She watched, and as she did, Sandra nodded to the team as she walked to Andy's desk. Sharon looked over to him, and he looked up and at Sandra and gave her a small smile. Sharon decided that she needed a fresh cup of tea, even though she still had half a cup on her desk. She told herself she was looking out for her team, even if they didn't realize it.

"And, why is your desk the only one over here?" Sharon heard as she walked out of her office door. She'd decided to walk out of the door away from Andy's desk since Andy and Sandra were almost barricaded outside her other door. She looked toward Andy as she heard that, and as she did so, she noticed the whole team was watching the interaction with Andy and Sandra.

"My desk has always been here," Andy told her, shrugging. "I'm not about to sit next to Provenza," he flashed a grin, and as he did so, he noticed Sharon was standing at her door.

"Sharon, I was just about to check in and make sure it was okay if I took my lunch break," Andy turned and smiled at her. With that, Sandra spun around and saw Sharon standing there, holding her cup of tea.

"Sandra," she nodded politely and gave her a small smile. Sharon could feel the team staring at her, and she didn't know why. She was being polite.

"Oh, Sharon," she said a bit crisply and looked to the enclosed office. She looked back at Andy, "Sharon's office," she gestured, "her office is there?"

"Well, yeah," Andy shrugged again, "she's the boss."

"Hmm, that's why," Sandra mumbled, sighed, and looked around at the team. "Hello, everyone. I didn't realize we had an audience."

"Oh, we're just interested in where the lieutenant is taking you to lunch, Ma'am," Julio grinned, as he tried to break the tension. Sharon felt it as soon as she stepped out of her office, but she was glad to know she wasn't the only one feeling it.

"Andy, yes, enjoy your lunch," Sharon gave him a small smile. "I'd like to meet with you and Lieutenant Provenza when you return," she looked toward Provenza who nodded and then back to Andy.

"Sure," he smiled. "Thanks. We won't be long."

"Oh, I was hoping we could get away to 'Flames' for lunch today," Sandra gave Andy a look. He frowned.

"That's a little bit of a drive for the time I have. I was thinking somewhere near the office, even down the street, maybe," he gave her a small smile.

"We can discuss on the way out," she sighed.

"Enjoy your lunch," Sharon nodded to them as she started to walk away. She could feel everyone staring at her as she walked away, which was odd to her because Andy was the one there with the drama. Sharon almost stopped when she heard Sandra loudly whisper to Andy, 'Does she always wear heels like those?' but Sharon kept walking. She glanced at her heels after she walked out of the office, wondering what exactly the comment was to imply, but she wasn't really sure. She was dressed in a professional manner, very professional, in fact. Sharon was the poster child for professional standards, almost literally. She'd made sure of that, professional dress, for most of the detectives in the building. She tried to shrug it off, thinking that maybe Sandra was curious how Sharon walked and worked in high heels such as hers each day.

While Sharon made her tea, her mind drifted again to Jack. She wasn't sure how much longer he'd be at the condo; she'd even told Rusty that earlier in the morning. Jack had looked at several apartments on Saturday, and in fact, he'd even called Sharon to join him for a second look at two of them late Saturday afternoon. She had liked one, but he'd liked the other. Ultimately, it was his decision, and she wasn't sure what he was going to decide. Either way, it looked like he wouldn't be staying much longer in the condo, which was good and bad. She was happy for Jack, happy he was getting his act together and taking up permanent residence in his own home, but at the same time, she was getting used to him, even at the expense of her sleep. She was nervous that if she allowed Jack to move into his own place without addressing their physical intimacy issues, it might become more of an issue. If she couldn't sleep with him while he was literally in her bed, she was worried it would only get more and more awkward once he moved out. It was a twisted situation, one that continued to confuse her and make her stomach turn. Perhaps, that was why she was such a wreck-the lack of sleep and the thoughts swirling around in her head just didn't clear up any of her issues.

She returned to her office with her freshly made tea to find Andy and Sandra had left. The team was in motion, all leaving to get their own lunch. As she walked back to her office, she felt them watching her and decided to address it.

"Yes?" she said slowly as she turned to face all of them, tea in hand.

"Nothing, Ma'am," Julio shook his head. "We were all just talking about the lieutenant and his ex-wife."

"Ahhh, well, I hope they have a nice lunch," Sharon nodded.

"What are you doing for lunch, Captain?" Amy asked, and Sharon noted she'd eyed Julio before asking.

"I have soup and my tea," she nodded. "I'm getting hungry myself, so I may just heat up that soup now. I need something to wake me up," she chuckled.

"We haven't even had a case overnight, Ma'am," Julio pointed out and continued, "not sleeping well?"

"No, I haven't been," Sharon frowned. "Hopefully, I'll have a better night sleep tonight."

"Rusty's not keeping you up, is he?" Provenza eyed her.

"No," she gave Provenza a small smile, "Rusty is fine. It's just me. I'm going to get back to work. Enjoy lunch," she waved to them.

Sharon worked awhile longer and watched the team file out for lunch. She settled in to work longer before heating her soup. Time slipped away, and her growling stomach alerted her that she hadn't eaten yet. When she glanced up, she noticed Mike and Buzz had already returned and sighed that she'd worked through lunch. She decided to heat her soup and knew she could eat while meeting with Provenza and Andy if necessary.

"Oh, Andy," she smiled when she walked into the break room. He was just closing the door to the refrigerator as she entered.

"Sharon, hi," he smiled as he turned to her. "Here for another cup of tea?"

"No, my lunch," she rolled her eyes. "I got busy, and I forgot to eat. Speaking of, did you have a nice lunch?"

"Ahh, yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "It was good, but Sandra didn't really like the place."

"Where did you take her?" Sharon stopped in front of Andy to talk to him before she started to prepare her lunch.

"The deli down the street, you know," he gestured, "Fine's Deli."

"She didn't like it?" Sharon's eyes grew wide. "I always love eating there."

"Yeah, me too," he nodded. "I think it was just her sandwich. I told her not to get a burger there, that they were more of a wrap kind of place, but she got a burger and then said it was dry and overcooked."

"Hmm, well, that's too bad. I don't even think Rusty gets burgers when we go there," she chuckled.

"No," Andy shook his head, "he usually gets that BLT wrap thing, at least he did the last couple times you and I took him there."

"Hmm, yes," Sharon nodded. "The spinach wrap there, that's my favorite."

"Yeah, mine too," he grinned. "Say, you didn't eat, you mentioned?"

"No, I was just coming to heat up some soup I made on Saturday," she told him.

"It will keep until tomorrow, I assume?" he looked at her. She looked at him with a questioning gaze, and then he turned back to the fridge and opened it, pulling out his bag.

"Here, please, eat this. You know how huge their sandwiches are. I didn't have anyone to split it with me," he winked. Sharon's eyes grew wide. Yes, they enjoyed going to the deli together and often. As Sharon thought about it, they always split the spinach wrap and if they were really hungry, they would split that and a bowl of soup.

"Oh, no," she waved at him. "You take that home and enjoy it for dinner or leave it for lunch tomorrow."

"Sharon," he said, somewhat sternly, but with a smile on his face, "please. I'd like you to have it; it's practically your half of the wrap anyways. We always split it."

"I'm fine; I have my soup," she gestured to the fridge and tried to move around Andy to get it. He shoved the bag toward her.

"I insist," he winked. "Please take it. I'd like you to have it. I know it's your favorite too."

Sharon opened her mouth to protest, but she saw the look in Andy's eyes, one she couldn't describe, but it almost made her melt. She reached for the bag and took it from Andy, as she smiled brightly at him.

"Things happen for a reason," she shrugged. "Forgetting to eat has it benefits when your favorite sandwich lands in your lap."

"Enjoy," he winked and squeezed her shoulder. "Oh, there's even extra Italian dressing in there."

"Oh, perfect," she said happily. "It is often on the dry side without that."

"Same page," he nodded to her as he started to the door. "It's like we've got the same taste," he winked as he opened the door to leave. Sharon stood there, smiling; he'd made her day with a simple spinach wrap.

Her food "luck" continued to the evening. Sharon made it home by 6:30 that evening, pleasantly surprised to find Jack and Rusty already home. She walked in to find them playing chess at the kitchen table with something in the oven.

"Hi, you two," she smiled at them as she walked around the corner. "Something smells good."

"Jack made dinner," Rusty explained. "Baked chicken, and he said he can cook, so Sharon, I'm trusting you to verify that."

Sharon chuckled as she gave Rusty a pat on the shoulder, "Jack can cook a few things, yes, and baked chicken is one of them. Jack," she smiled at him, "thank you for cooking dinner."

"You're welcome," he flashed a smile at her. "I figured I needed to pull my weight here if I was staying here for a couple weeks, but I was just telling Rusty here that I filled out an application on the apartment I liked."

"Oh, you did?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "So, you decided?"

"I did," he nodded.

"Did you hear back yet?" she asked as she moved around the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine.

"Ahh, no, not yet, hopefully tomorrow. They have to verify everything," he said as he glanced back to the board.

"So, sounds like Jack won't be here too much longer," Rusty smirked as he glanced at Jack and then to Sharon.

"Hmm, yes, good work, Jack," she smiled and nodded as she sipped her wine. "I'm going to go change."

The guys waved at her as she walked back to her room. Jack had made a big effort; he'd found a place. She walked into her room and found a stack of paperwork on the bed. She moved to it, and she let out a sigh as she read the top of it.

"Sharon, I knew you'd want to see that I followed through and filled out the apartment application. Here's the completed paperwork. I am trying, and I know you liked the other place better, but this one just seemed more like home to me.- Jack," she read through it. Sharon noted it was a large stack of paperwork and took a quick glance at it, not that she would have asked Jack to actually see the paperwork, but the thought was in the back of her mind. She appreciated Jack's gesture; he really was trying. A knock at her door had her turning toward it. She'd left it open, and she saw Jack standing there, with an encouraging smile.

"Good, you saw the paperwork," he took one step into the room, but he waited because Sharon hadn't said anything more.

"Jack," she waved it and sighed, "thank you." She walked to him and put her arms around him and kissed him. He responded quickly, wrapping his arms around her.

"If I'd known that was the response, I would have found a place sooner," he chuckled when they broke apart. Sharon stood there, still wrapped in his arms.

"I really appreciate you doing this, trying, for us," she said. "I think we can tell the kids you've found a place to live, and that in the interim, you are staying here at the condo."

"Okay," he eyed her, trying to figure out her angle. "I thought you didn't want to tell the kids anything."

"Well, no, nothing about us," she said playing with the buttons of his dress shirt. Jack generally took off his tie as soon as he left the office. "I don't need to get into specifics, that you are staying in here, but they have asked a few times about you staying with your friend. We can tell them that you're staying here just until your place is ready. They don't need to know any details beyond that."

Jack nodded and moved his hands to run them up and down her arms. "I really am glad we are doing so well, Sharon."

"I am too," she said quietly and deliberately. Jack's phone rang, and he rolled his eyes as he stepped back to answer it.

"Jack Raydor," he said, and she watched as he listened and nodded, "yes, I did fill out that application and can have my law office send over that verification. Yes, correct," he continued. "It's not going to be ready until April 15?" he questioned and frowned. He looked to Sharon and shook his head. "Let me call you right back."

Sharon looked at him as he spoke, and when he hung up, Jack sighed. Sharon spoke first, "The apartment isn't going to be ready for another month, I take it?"

"No, it's not," he sighed. "Look, I'll call the other place. The apartment is going to be vacant at the end of the month, but apparently, they are going to paint, replace appliances, and update the bathroom. They are working on each apartment as they can, and it works with this one coming up for rent. I'm sorry, Sharon."

"Jack," she reached for his hand and gave him a small smile, before she continued, "it's fine. You can stay here. I'll let Rusty know what the plan is; he can't argue with that, and it's just another month. Besides that, you will get the apartment you want, and it will be nicely updated. I don't think that's a bad deal at all. I, for one, have enjoyed having this time with you to reconnect."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise. "Sharon, I've really enjoyed being here too, but really, I can't ask you to keep me another month."

"Jack," she said quietly, "please, stay. I'd like that." She leaned up and kissed him again, and he smiled when she stepped back.

"Okay, then," he waved his phone. "I'll call them back."

"Good," she grinned. "I'll get changed, and then we can eat the dinner you made."

"Rusty too," he nodded to the kitchen. "That kid is out there making up a salad and cooking asparagus because he said we needed more vegetables with dinner," he rolled his eyes at Sharon. She started to laugh and put her head on his chest. Jack continued, "I know that all comes from you, Sharon. You've done a great job with him. I've enjoyed spending some time with him."

"Thank you," she stopped laughing and looked to him, her eyes looking at him intently. "I appreciate the effort you are making with him. He's got so much potential, and I have no intention of sending him away."

"I understand," Jack nodded, running his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered, "Am I wrong though to want some alone time with you?" he winked.

Sharon took a deep breath, and she looked up at him, "I think I'd like that too," she nodded. "Why don't you call back the apartment complex, I'll change, we can eat with Rusty, and then, later, we can see where the night takes us."


	17. Chapter 17

The night didn't take them anywhere, at least that night nor the next. Sharon held out for two nights with Jack, and that was the end of it. She gave in and slept with her husband. Yes, the thought even sounded absurd to her, but after the decades of problems with Jack, it wasn't all that absurd. By Thursday morning, she was even more conflicted, hoping that sleeping with Jack would answer so many questions, but it hadn't. She had intended to try and wait, but it was just causing her to be a mental mess; she kept analyzing and analyzing things, making it more and more awkward around the condo. Monday, when Jack had found out about his apartment, she'd thought about it, giving in and sleeping with Jack, but she'd ended up helping Rusty with math and English homework late into the evening. She really had not been looking for an excuse; Rusty had come to her asking for help. It was almost if Rusty knew something was going on in her mind, although he didn't; he'd clearly needed homework help. By the time Sharon retreated to the bedroom, she found Jack passed out, legal papers all around him on the bed. It had been a somewhat welcome relief, but that had her out of sorts again on Tuesday, even though she'd gotten a better night's sleep. Tuesday evening, Jack ended up working late prepping for a case he had starting Wednesday, which is the same reason he had paperwork everywhere the night before.

By Wednesday evening, Sharon was ready to climb the walls; she was a mess. It wasn't that she was even thrilled about physical intimacy with Jack, but she just felt out of sorts. She was nervous, anxious, and agitated, or all three in one, even if the feelings seemed similar. She almost felt like she just needed to get it over, which she knew wasn't romantic at all, but she was almost beyond it being romantic. She knew that sounded terrible, but it was where she was in her state. Things were just becoming more and more awkward around the place with Jack, and she knew Rusty had sensed her odd behavior, even if he didn't know why. In his mind, she figured, she was just agitated about Jack being there period, which she was, but she didn't want to be. She wanted to be excited her husband was home, and but that wasn't happening.

So, she'd caved finally, and of course, it wasn't anything magical or even extremely romantic. It was Jack and even not as she had remembered. It had been a relatively normal evening at home. She'd gotten home at a decent hour, early enough to make dinner for the three of them. She'd made a simple spaghetti dish because it sounded good to her, comfort food almost. Rusty had eaten with them and retired to his room to read and listen to his music. Jack had told Sharon about his opening day in court for his most recent case, and he'd sat down for an hour or so of prep while Sharon had cleaned up around the condo, put in some laundry, and then paced trying to decide what to do. She'd finally given up, deciding to just get a shower and go to bed, intent on masking her frustrations again, but when she'd finished in the bathroom, she walked into the bedroom, surprised to find Jack there getting ready for bed himself.

"Oh, hi," she said quietly as she walked across the room to pick out her clothing for the next morning. She was ready for bed, in her pajamas-another silky nightgown, faced washed, and teeth brushed. "I thought you had a lot of case prep."

"Nah," he waved, "it's another day of jury selection. I'm good for now. I mean, I needed to refresh my memory on a few things, but I'm ready for tomorrow."

"Well, umm, I'm going to head to bed. I'm done in the bathroom if you want to use it," she stammered as she picked out her black skirt suit with a dark purple top for the next day.

"I was hoping to spend some time with you," he flashed her a small smile. "It's been a long week, and we haven't had much alone time. "He walked toward her, with a look in his eye, one she knew very well from over the years.

"I think, I think," she repeated and nodded, "I think I'd like that Jack. I think I'd like to be with my husband."

So, now as she sat at her desk, Thursday morning, thinking back over the night, she was possibly even more conflicted. She knew she should be sitting there, giddy, happy with joy, and excited for their relationship getting back on track, but she wasn't sure if it really had. Honestly, she could say they'd "done the deed," and that was about all right now. There hadn't been any overly romantic gestures, just Jack and their 30-year marriage. She didn't think that was how she wanted to regard her marriage from this point forward, but she had no clarity at the moment to help her. In addition, she really didn't have anyone with whom she could discuss her problems. She wasn't really close with a lot of women, Andrea maybe, but still, she was a lawyer who on occasion, sat opposite Jack, and she didn't want to discuss intimacy issues with her. Her best friend, well, she sighed as she glanced toward him hard at work at his desk, yes, him, Andy, that was out of the question too. She should be able to talk to Andy about anything, and really, she could talk to him about ALMOST anything, but Jack was NOT a topic the two could discuss. She certainly didn't want to discuss intimacy issues about Jack with Andy, especially when Andy had his own problems. The two just couldn't go there; she was, in a way, too close to Andy, and that talk couldn't happen.

Sharon didn't realize she was staring at Andy until she snapped out of her state and watched as he smiled at her. She smiled back and gave him a nod to get back to work. He winked at her and turned back to his desk as she looked down at hers. This day was all-around frustrating. They didn't have a case, and she had a lot on her mind. It needed to end quickly. A knock at her door had her looking up, knowing the source, before she even met his eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he flashed his smile at her, and with that, Sharon sighed and felt relaxed for the first time that day. "Well, instead of a penny, I really wanted to offer a walk and a cup of coffee? Interested? I'm going out of my mind bored here without a case, and I could use a walk downstairs to the coffee cart."

Sharon glanced around her office; she understood Andy's feelings, even if she couldn't vocalize to him her frustrations, "Yes," she nodded and stood. "That sounds perfect, but you don't have to buy me a cup of coffee to get me to join you."

Andy rolled his eyes, "That was part of the offer; take it or leave it. You can't join my handsome self unless you let me buy you a cup of coffee. That's the offer, Captain," he winked at her. She glanced to the ground and started to smile and chuckle.

"I'll take it," she looked to him. "You've been providing a lot of my food needs lately with lunch and now coffee."

He shrugged, "I take care of the ladies in my life," he grinned, and Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Hmm, some might say brown-nosing with the boss," she teased.

"Hey, you should know better by now that I don't just see you as the boss," he nodded to her. The two walked out of the office, and Andy spoke to the team. "We're going to get a cup of coffee. Anyone want anything, I mean, anyone besides Provenza?"

"Why are you excluding me?" Provenza made a face at Andy. Andy rolled his eyes as he glanced at Sharon before looking at Provenza.

"You're a given; I'll be back with your coffee," he smirked.

"Good, as it should be," Provenza nodded. "You two, go," he waved and made a face at Andy. "No one else here needs to go on any sort of coffee break with you," he said as he glanced around the room. The room was quickly filled with everyone declining the coffee offer.

The two made their way to the elevator, and once inside, Sharon slumped against the back of it. Andy glanced over, his hands in his pockets, and he gave her an odd look. "What's going on? You seem really out of sorts."

"I'm okay," she waved. "I'm just tired. It's been a long week. I think I do better when we are running around with a case. The week is just dragging, and I've just had an upset stomach all week."

"You sick?" he looked at her, somewhat worried.

"No, I just have had a lot on my mind. I'll be fine," she waved at him. "How are things with you?"

"Okay," he shrugged, but she could hear the tension and sadness in his voice.

"You don't sound fine," Sharon gave him a small smile. "Remember, I know you well."

"Right back at you," he nodded to her. "I think we both sound a bit out of sync."

"Hmm, yes, that is probably an accurate description," she nodded. She glanced at his tie, and she smiled at Andy, "We are out of sync," she nodded to his tie. "I'm wearing purple, and you are wearing green. Usually, we seem to have some sixth sense and wear the same color. We're out of sync because we're not wearing similar colors."

Andy grinned as he looked at her suit and then down at his tie. He nodded, in agreement. "That definitely could be the culprit. That paired with maybe it's we just haven't had a chance to really talk in awhile. I miss our dinners and walks," he smiled softly at her.

"I do too," she nodded, and they were interrupted by the elevator arriving on the ground floor. Amazingly, they hadn't picked up any additional passengers on their ride. "Well, this isn't the beach, but getting coffee with you is a treat, definitely the highlight of my day," she smiled brightly.

"Mine too," he grinned.

The two were quiet as they walked outside to the coffee cart. They ordered their drinks, along with one for Provenza, and Sharon tried to hand a $20 bill to the cashier, but Andy pushed her hand away. The two continued in the banter before Andy was able to get his money to the woman. Sharon rolled her eyes and made a promise to herself to think of a way to do something kind for Andy. He always seemed to be watching out for her.

"Jack still around?" Andy asked a few moments later as they were walking to a bench to sit down for a few moments. Sharon, who had taken a sip of her coffee, coughed at the mention of Jack, and turned to Andy.

"Yes," she said in a flat tone. "Jack is in town because he is working at a law firm. He's getting back on his feet and trying very hard. He and Ricky had a good visit, and he's been getting to know Rusty even more too." She nodded as she completed her sentence, happy with that information, but not intending to discuss any specifics of her relationship with Jack. It was not the situation to bring up her evening activities, not that she would discuss that with anyone anyway. Andy was silent as she spoke, and when she finished, and he hadn't replied, she looked to him. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, "Just worried, Sharon. I know you; I know Jack. I am worried about Jack being around you and hurting you. He's done that over and over. I don't want to argue, but I can be worried."

"Okay," she said slowly, drawing that out. "How is Sandra?" she asked, with almost a hint of sarcasm there. She gave him a look.

He eyed her and nodded, "Okay, fine," he sighed. "Point taken. We don't have to discuss them."

"So, how are your kids?" she tried a different conversation topic.

He eyed her before answering, "Meddling in my personal life. It's not going well, so," he nodded to her, inferring that was also a topic to not discuss.

"Andy, it's not-you're not thinking about drinking, are you? Are you going to your meetings? If you have an urge and need to talk to someone, I'm always here," she started to fumble over her words. Andy reached over and squeezed her hand, causing her to stop talking and look at him.

"Sharon," he said softly, "I'm fine, at least with AA. I'm going to my meetings, and no, I'm not thinking about drinking. I'd definitely tell you if I had any issues with that. It's not that at all, but I'm touched you are so concerned. I'm just," he waved his hand, "I don't know."

"Right," she sighed, agreeing with his statement about not knowing. "Andy, we've never had a problem talking before." Andy realized his still had his hand on hers and pulled it away quickly. He put it at his side, and then he seemed to fumble with it.

"Yeah," he ran his hand through his hair, "I think our personal lives are putting us on edge."

"We'll figure it out," she nodded to him. "It's got to get easier, right?" she said with a nervous glance.

Sharon continued that thought through the rest of her evening. Coffee with Andy had been a welcome break in her day, the highlight of her day, but it had also been awkward because the two were dancing around the subject of their spouses or in Andy's case, ex-spouse. They finished out another quiet day at work, and Sharon made her way home. She got home before Jack and Rusty and decided a nice soak in her tub with a glass of wine might help. She settled in to enjoy her bath and did so until the water turned cold. It did help, a little, and when she got out, she put on her most comfortable clothing and turned toward the door leading to her bedroom when she heard it open.

"Hi," she smiled at Jack as he poked his head in the door.

"Hi, there you are," he smiled at her. "I knew you were home, but the place appeared empty. Have a good bath?"

"I did," she nodded to him as she worked on her hair. She stood in front of the mirror and continued to dry it. She almost jumped when she felt Jack's arms move around her waist. He started to kiss her neck too. "Jack," she sighed lightly and patted his hand.

"Hmmm, I thought we could continue from last night. Rusty isn't home, and we are getting our relationship back on track," he continued to talk and kiss her. She felt him working his way down her neck and his hands had quickly made their way under her loose t-shirt. Jack's hands had moved quickly, and she'd missed it. She'd put on her favorite yoga pants a basic t-shirt, intent on putting a cardigan over it, but undressing now was not on her mind.

"Jack," she sighed, again, stepping away, startling him, "I'm not in the mood."

She turned toward Jack and saw he was frowning, "Sharon, I thought that-" he said.

She sighed and shook her head, "I'm just tired from work, Jack. I don't want to be in some rush around here, especially with Rusty coming home soon."

"Right, Rusty," he rolled his eyes. "Sharon, I can't help but feel you still shutting me out."

"I'm not trying to do that," she told him, honestly. "I'm really not. I am trying, Jack, and I thought you could see I'd made effort. Last night, that was effort, and I am trying."

"Fine," he shook his head and stepped away. He started to undo his shirt, "I'm going to just change too." Sharon could tell she'd frustrated him, and so she took a step toward him, leaned up, and kissed him quickly.

"I'd just prefer to take my time, Jack, no rushing," she said quietly. He looked at her, hopeful with that admission.

"Later?" he asked.

Sharon held back a long sigh and just pursed her lips, "Possibly. I just don't know."

She squeezed his arm and moved quickly from the room to work on dinner. Once she got into the living room, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, aware her hair was still pretty wet, but she needed to get away from Jack. He was her husband. She kept telling herself that as she took step after step toward the kitchen, hoping that she would convince herself that things would eventually feel normal again.


	18. Chapter 18

Normalcy returned in one form later that night. Sharon's phone rang in the middle of the night, and she knew that meant the team had caught a case. It was wrong to be excited about a murder to solve, but she couldn't help it; she and her team were homicide detectives, and finally, they were getting back to work.

"Good evening, Lieutenant," she said quietly as she tried not to disturb Jack. He was on his side facing her and had his arm by her leg. She slowly slipped out of bed and grabbed for her robe as she walked to her door. She opened it and slipped into the hallway to talk to Provenza.

"Captain, we caught a case, murder out your way, not too far from your place, he sighed. "I'm on my way, and I'll update you when I know more. Right now, I just have an address."

"Thank you," she nodded and told him. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but what time is it? I don't have my glasses right now."

"Just after 4 :00," he told her. "Sorry for the early call."

"No," she waved her hand in the air, "no apology, Lieutenant. It's the job."

"I'll call you soon," he told her and hung up. Sharon gripped her phone in her hand as she looked around her quiet condo. It was cluttered, more than she liked it to be. Andy had joked with her on more than one occasion it barely looked like anyone lived here, much less two people including a teenager. Now, as she surveyed it, she nodded, noting that it definitely looked like people lived here, mainly Jack. He had case files piled on her desk, his briefcase by the door, and his suit coat over the back of the couch. Jack. It wasn't bad, but she just preferred things put away, in their place. None of it was wrong, but just further proof Jack was back in her life. She sighed as she walked to the kitchen to check the time and start the coffee; she really needed to get her glasses. It was 4:13, and it was useless trying to go back to bed. She would be needed in the morgue in a couple hours, and really, she still wasn't sleeping well next to Jack, even after they had "rekindled their marriage," but even the jury was still out on that; she was still feeling out of sorts.

Sharon decided to get a hot shower and get ready for work, so she wasn't rushed to get to the morgue. A hot shower might help with her tense shoulders; she'd felt the weight of the world on them lately, and nothing seemed to help. She'd asked Jack to rub her shoulders the other night, but that had lasted for all of two minutes before he'd started kissing her neck, trying to convince her that would help. It hadn't. So, now, as she needed to get ready for work, she crept back into her bedroom to get a shower. Jack was snoring again, and she shook her head, not remembering that he'd snored like that until now. She grabbed her suit, which was hanging on the closet door knob, and she made her way into the bathroom. A shower would help; she might be stuck at work for hours, and yes, a shower now would help.

She was working on her hair 15 minutes later when her phone rang again. She grabbed for it quickly, hoping it wouldn't wake Jack or Rusty. "Andy," she said, a bit out of breath. She hadn't expected her phone to ring so soon; it normally took the team at least a half hour to get any information, and it scared her.

"Morning, Sharon," he told her. "I'm sure Provenza told you about our case."

"Well, yes, no, yes," she stammered. She sighed and let out a long breath. She heard Andy chuckling on the other end.

"Yeah, that sounds convincing," he continued to chuckle.

"He told me of a case, but I have no details yet. I was just getting dressed so I'll be ready to meet you at the morgue," she said. "He wasn't even at the scene yet. Are you there?"

"Well, that's why I'm calling," he told her. "Provenza is there now, but they are throwing a big fit about speaking to the commanding officer. Seems the patrol officer who is there just happens to be another lieutenant tonight, and he's not wanting to take orders from Provenza. Provenza called me to see where I was, and I'm on my way too. We would like to ask for your assistance and apologize for the moron patrol officer who will ultimately be put in his place when you arrive."

Sharon chuckled, "Yes, I can stop by there. I'm not quite ready, and then I'll get my car. It's still going to maybe be a half hour. I can call Provenza in the interim."

"I'm not far from your condo. Why don't I pick you up this morning? It's no trouble, and it might save you a few minutes," he offered.

"You don't need to pick me up, Andy," she said as she continued to work on her hair.

"It's no trouble, Sharon, really. I'm not far away. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Is that enough time?" he asked.

"Plenty," she said. "I'll meet you out front."

"Perfect," Andy replied. "See you soon."

Sharon hung up and started to hurry. She had to admit riding with Andy sounded better than driving alone, even though she was capable of doing that. She and Andy hadn't had a lot of time to talk lately, aside from their coffee break the day before. It would be nice to catch up with him, and she hoped it was less awkward than things had been with the two of them recently. She was still finishing her makeup when she was sure she heard a knock at her door. She glanced at her watch; it had only been a few minutes, but she wasn't late. She moved quickly down the hall, and when she was almost at the door she heard him, "Sharon, it's me. I got here early."

Sharon let out her breath and unlocked the door to find Andy standing there in one of her favorite ties. It was a deep purple one he had paired with a gray shirt. The color combination always looked nice on him, and even lacking sleep, she noted Andy was looking sharp this morning.

"Hi, I'm sorry that I'm running late," she said breathlessly, as she opened the door to let him inside. He stepped in, and she started moving quickly to collect her badge, gun, and purse. She looked around and back to Andy, "Let me go get my phone."

"Take your time," he told her. "I got here early, and I was going to see if you had maybe happened to start any coffee? I'm dying for a cup," he chuckled and then rolled his eyes, "might be a poor choice of words considering we are going to a crime scene."

She stopped what she was doing; she had her heels there by the door and was trying to put them on when Andy told her his little joke. She looked up at him to find him grinning about his joke. She rolled her eyes, but then she burst out laughing. "Okay, that was funny," she nodded.

"I try," he winked.

"Coffee, yes," she told him, nodding. "I started some right after Provenza called. It should be done. Help yourself."

"You sure you have enough?" he asked.

"Positive," she nodded. "Travel mugs are above the coffee pot. "Grab anything you want."

"Thanks, Sharon. You're a lifesaver," he told her.

"I'm going to just grab my phone and tidy up in the bathroom. It will only take me a minute," she nodded to him and disappeared quickly. Andy glanced around and made his way to the kitchen. Sharon finished in the bathroom and then went back through the bedroom. As she did, Jack moved and called out to her.

"What time is it?" he grumbled.

"Just after 4:30," she said quietly. "My presence is requested at a crime scene. I've got to get going." She moved to the door quickly, wanting to get out of the room before Jack got up and followed her.

"See you here later?" he grumbled. She stopped, with her hand on the door, and she turned back to him.

"I'm not sure what time I will be home. You know how these cases get. I'll call you later. Are you going to the AA meeting at St. Joseph's tonight?" she asked. She'd been looking for a way to discuss that with Jack, wanting to know if he was going to AA, but she hadn't brought it up yet. She knew their church, or her church really, because even though they were married, she couldn't remember the last time Jack had gone, had an AA meeting, and she was hoping Jack might go. She knew prodding him to go wouldn't work, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

"Nah," he waved a hand in the air, even though he was still lying in bed, half-asleep. "You know that doesn't work for everyone. I'm just not a meeting guy. I have tried them over the years, but I just do better on my own."

"Right," Sharon pursed her lips, not wanting to voice her opinion on the matter, at least right now when she needed to go to work. "I'll call you later, Jack," she said quietly.

"Bye, Sharon," he grumbled. "Be safe and . He sounded almost asleep again, and Sharon crept out of her room and back toward the living room. She heard Andy in the kitchen and walked in there to find him putting the lids on the two travel mugs.

"Cream, no sugar," he glanced at her to confirm.

"Perfect," she said as she smiled brightly at him. "Let's get going."

Andy nodded and followed her out of the kitchen. Sharon grabbed her things, and Andy nodded to her jacket, hanging by the door.

"It's windy right now. You might want that," he told her, and then his eyes narrowed as he spoke. He turned back around, and he shook his head at Sharon. "Is Jack staying here?"

Sharon, who had just reached for her coat, spun around to face Andy. She felt the blush creeping up on her face, and she found Andy pointing to the stack of legal files on her desk.

"Ahh, yes, he is," she said, as she put on her coat and tried to not look at Andy. She was trying to stay busy and NOT discuss this with Andy. Andy turned to her, and she could feel he was staring at her.

"Where is he?" Andy asked, nodding to the couch area.

"Asleep," she told him, clearing her voice after she answered. Andy continued to look at Sharon. She finally sighed and met his gaze, "Andy, he's asleep. He is my husband."

Sharon knew that probably wasn't the best answer even as she was saying it. She watched Andy's facial expression turn, but it wasn't an expression she could read. He went blank. He wasn't mad, confused, or frustrated. He was expressionless.

Sharon tilted her head and pursed her lips, "Andy?" she called to him. He looked away, and Sharon saw him take a deep breath before he messed with the collar of his suit.

"I didn't know Jack was staying here," he said, almost spitting out the information. "I didn't know it was that kind of arrangement."

Sharon sighed and looked to the ground. She looked back at Andy, and she shrugged, "He is my husband."

"Yeah, and he's treated you and the kids like garbage for years, Sharon!" he exclaimed. He lowered his voice quickly as he realized he'd gotten loud.

"Maybe we should go," she gestured. She walked to the door, expecting Andy to be right behind her. She turned and found him still looking at Jack's things. Now, he was looking at his briefcase, sitting on the floor by the door. "Andy," she said with more to her tone. He looked to her and shook his head.

"Sharon," he sighed.

"Andy, it's not up for discussion. Care to share where you were when you got the call tonight? I didn't ask, but I am guessing you didn't just drive all the way here from your house. I'm well aware Sandra lives near me, for one. Also, you always have coffee at home, and I know in the past, you've mentioned that Sandra has never liked coffee. That was something we discussed a very long time ago when we talked about tea and coffee preferences. So, using my detective skills, I'm guessing you were there, which is why you haven't had any coffee," she explained as she put her hand on her hip. "Are we really going to discuss our, our," she waved her free hand, "our Jack and Sandra right now when we need to get to work?"

"No," he frowned and nodded to the door. "Let's just get to work."

"Everything okay out here?" the two snapped their heads toward the sound and saw Jack standing in Sharon's doorway in boxes and a t-shirt, still half asleep. "I heard voices, and Sharon, I thought you'd already left."

"We're leaving now," she snapped and looked to Andy.

"Flynn, you seriously can't be standing there. This has to be some nightmare," Jack groaned at him. "Since when did Sharon need an escort to a crime scene?"

"Jack, don't start with me," Andy said,completely disgusted. "If I had known," he shook his head and stopped talking for a moment. "I feel like this is a nightmare. Believe me, I feel the same, Jack," Andy said through gritted teeth. "The case isn't even underway, and I'm already dealing with my first dirt bag of the day."


	19. Chapter 19

Search warrants. 'Thank goodness for search warrants,' at least that is what Sharon kept telling herself as she stared at her computer. The team was at a standstill waiting for two search warrants. While they were waiting, Sharon was browsing online for flights, specifically flights to New York. It had been too long; she needed to see her daughter.

Sharon didn't want to admit that perhaps she was running away for awhile, just getting out of town, away from her own problems. Jack. He was front and center on her mind, and she didn't know what to do with him. The more she tried, the more she frustrated herself. The team. She just was getting more and more irritated being around them, which was her clue that she needed a break, a vacation, from work. Yes, she loved her job, but she needed to get away and had the perfect excuse. She realized she might be blaming the whole team when her annoyance was mainly directed at one specific lieutenant, but really, she'd been snapping at the whole team, not just the well-dressed lieutenant who was currently irritating her. She needed a vacation.

Spring break for Rusty was coming up in just a few weeks, and she'd promised to take a few days off during that week to spend time with Rusty. She'd had a realization earlier in the day while working the case; she and Rusty could get out of town and visit Emily. It would take care of so many of her problems. It would put her in New York to visit Emily, something she'd been wanting to do for a long time. It would give her an opportunity to take Rusty on a trip, and taking him to New to spend time with Emily was another point in her favor. The trip would give Sharon a break from work, which she realized she needed. She had been short with the team, and even if people like Andy deserved it right now, she needed a break from work. She also needed a break from Jack, which was ironic, considering he'd been in the wind for years, decades really. Now that he was home, literally home in her bed, she just wanted a break. Life for Sharon was frustrating all around right now, and at this point, she was willing to almost pay any price for a plane ticket.

"Captain, no word on that search warrant," Provenza knocked and opened her door quickly. He stuck his head in the door just to update her, and he frowned when he noticed she hadn't heard him. "Captain?"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Provenza," she snapped her head up to look at him. "You were saying?" Sharon asked him.

"No word on that warrant. I was hoping we'd have heard back by now. Okay if we take a lunch break while we wait?"

"Of course," Sharon nodded and gestured to him. "I'm sorry. I should have ordered food for the team."

"It's fine, Captain," he told her. "Just remember that if you keep us here for dinner," he smirked at her.

Sharon tried to hold back a smile, and she nodded at Provenza, "I will keep that in mind. Please, go and eat," she nodded. Provenza nodded to her and started to pull his head out of her doorway and close her door. Sharon called out to him again, "Lieutenant," she asked, and he looked at her. She pursed her lips, and then she just asked what she'd been thinking, but had not said to anyone yet. "I was thinking about taking a few days off work," she started to explain, and Provenza's eyebrows rose as she spoke. "Rusty's spring break is coming up soon, and I was thinking about taking him to New York where we could visit Emily."

"Well," he nodded, "Captain, that sounds like a reasonable trip for the both of you."

"I thought so too, but I wanted to check with you about the dates, about my being gone," she nodded.

"Captain, I haven't taken a vacation in a decade," he frowned. "I'm sure I can handle things here, whatever the dates might be."

Sharon chuckled as she nodded at him, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Not a problem, Captain," he gave her a single nod and started to close her door again.

"Lieutenant," she called to him again, and she swore she heard him sigh as he looked at her once again. "I realize you and Andy discuss everything," she enunciated the word and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd like to keep anything he told you in confidence, out of the office," she clarified and looked to him. He looked back at her with a blank expression, but Sharon knew he understood her perfectly. Just to clear up anything further, she sighed and folded her hands on her desk, "Lieutenant, I certainly hope the details of my home life will not be part of general office conversation."

Provenza was quiet for a moment, a move Sharon knew meant he was gathering his thoughts. He spoke a few moments later, "Captain, unlike Goldilocks, I am not interested in whomever is sleeping in your bed."

Sharon felt the blush again creeping up her face, and she gave him a single nod, "Thank you, Lieutenant." Provenza nodded and finally ducked out of her office. She watched him walk away, back toward his desk, and she could tell he was speaking to the team; all eyes were on him as he gave their lunch instructions. While he spoke, she turned toward Andy, the man who was at the root of her current irritation. He was supposed to be her best friend, but she felt like he was stepping over the line lately.

Things had been tense with Andy for quite some time now, but the tension seemed to have skyrocketed since Andy saw Jack earlier at the condo. The ride to the crime scene had been so awkward, and Sharon had regretted ever agreeing to let Andy pick her up that morning. He wasn't the only problem; Jack was too, at least in her mind. Jack just had to come and check on her as she was trying to leave. She wanted him to stay in bed, but as she analyzed it again in her head, she realized that he was within his right to check on the noise in the condo. She wouldn't call it his house; it was in her name only, but she'd invited him into her home, into her bed, and she couldn't blame her husband for checking on things in the middle of the night. Andy, though Andy, he was really frustrating her. He had no right to meddle in her life, to question her relationship with Jack. She was married; Andy was not. She was doing her best to stay out of his mess, and yes, she saw his relationship with Sandra as a mess. Sharon knew things weren't going well with Sandra. Just as Andy knew her well, she knew him well too. He was unhappy, and while she wanted him happy, right now, it was not her place to say. She wanted Andy to realize that about her situation too. He was in a mess; she was in a mess. She, too, realized she had a mess, a different type of mess because with Jack legally her husband, she couldn't just walk away. Jack might have done that before, but even he had come back. Sharon knew she had to give Jack a chance. She believed he deserved it, especially now that he was trying. She wouldn't walk away right now; she couldn't walk away from her marriage when Jack was trying.

Now, Andy, he was a different story. She had wanted to walk away from Andy all morning long. The car ride to the crime scene had been irritating. He had barely spoken to her, and she hadn't wanted to talk to him either. She knew he was mad about Jack, and while she appreciated he was worried about her, it was her business, period. She glanced at him during the short drive, noting he had a death grip on the steering wheel. She had chosen not to comment on it, aware that he was ready to explode. It was no secret Andy and Jack didn't get along. Sharon understood some of it, as she'd told Andy a lot of her past, but she wanted him to trust her judgement. Once they were at the crime scene, they went their separate ways, she to diffuse the situation, and Andy walked toward the crime scene to start working. She checked on him from afar a few times, noting he was working, but at one point, she watched Provenza walk up to Andy, and she knew by watching Andy's body language with Provenza, that he was telling her senior lieutenant about what he'd seen at her condo. He was frustrated and gesturing toward her, and it was almost hard to watch. On one hand, she wanted to stop him from talking; Andy was discussing her personal life at work with a colleague, but on the other hand, she understood her friend, her best friend. He was worried about her and seeking guidance, something she'd also been doing with Provenza as she was worried about Andy and his relationship with Sandra. Provenza. No wonder the man was always in a bad mood; he was constantly stuck in the middle and left to watch his colleagues and friends try to sort out their personal relationship disasters.

Sharon spent her lunch hour ordering plane tickets; she'd made up her mind to visit her daughter, and Rusty was coming along with her. She didn't buy Jack a ticket, mainly because she wanted some time away. She also knew it would be odd for Emily to see her parents together, which again, sounded strange, but not much in Sharon's 30-year marriage had been normal. No, Jack needed to stay in LA, and she needed to go. It would be good for her, good for Rusty, to get away for a few days. After double checking with Provenza via text over lunch, she booked her tickets. The best deal she could find had her leaving on a Saturday afternoon and returning on a Thursday morning. It wasn't a terribly long visit, but it would give her a few days with Emily, and it would give Rusty a few days to tour a new city. Sharon knew it was just what she needed.

The team had been in and out all afternoon, serving their search warrants and continuing with the case. The case wasn't terribly complicated, but Major Crimes had landed it because it involved a highly paid, famous model. Her ex-boyfriend was the prime suspect, and it looked like they were going to wrap the case by the next day. A knock at her door had her glancing toward it, knowing the team was filing back in from their latest search of the boyfriend's storage unit.

"Hi," she said flatly and pursed her lips. Sharon was trying very hard not to be mad at Andy while he was in 'Lieutenant Flynn' mode, knowing that she couldn't afford to mix business with pleasure. "Looks like the search was productive."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Pretty sure we might have found the murder weapon. Guy had several tools there, and they are all at the lab now for analysis."

"Good," she nodded. "Where is our suspect?"

"Mike and Amy have him in first interview room," he told her. "They are ready to start the interview if you are ready to head to electronics," he gestured.

"Yes," she said as she stood. "Thank you."

Andy paused as he thought about saying more, and he opened her door further to allow her to pass by him, "Umm, listen, Sharon, can we just forget this morning? I hate the tension between us; it's not what I want at all." He gave her a small, hopeful smile, and he looked at her. It had always been hard to stay angry at Andy, and looking at his face right now was proof why. His eyes and smile were melting her quickly.

"I'd like that," she said as she cleared her voice and nodded. "I hate the tension too."

"It's not us," he nodded in agreement.

"No, it's not," she sighed. "I think we both have a lot on our plates, both at work and home. We're both dealing with home situations that are ahh, challenging at times."

"Agreed," Andy sighed.

"Well, let's get to work," she started to the door.

"Provenza mentioned you are taking a vacation?" he asked as she walked.

Sharon looked at him, a little surprised, but at the same time, she wasn't keeping it a secret. "That's right," she nodded. "I'm going to visit Emily. Rusty has spring break coming up, and I thought it would be a good trip for the two of us."

"The two of you," Andy nodded, "right."

"Yes," Sharon started to glare at him, but Andy spoke quickly before she could say anything.

"I hope you have a good time," he added. "Yeah, Provenza mentioned it because I was asking him what girlfriend of his was blowing up his phone when we were at lunch," he chuckled. "He didn't find it funny, and then he told me it was you. You and Provenza," Andy chuckled further, "now, that would be a sight."

Sharon shook her head, noting that Andy was almost nervous, "Hmm, yes, I don't think either of us would survive."

"Plus, he's not your type,". Andy joked as the two walked toward electronics.

"My type?" she turned to Andy with her hand on the door of electronics.

"Not Provenza," Andy winked, and the conversation ended as they got back to work.


	20. Chapter 20

"What's the point of our plane getting in early if we are stuck sitting here on the-what did you call it?" Rusty asked as he bent his head slightly to look out the plane's window. He frowned and turned to Sharon, shaking his head. "We still haven't moved."

"Tarmac, and yes, I'm aware because we would feel the plane moving," she gave him a slight nod and pursed her lips. She was having trouble not rolling her eyes at him. She knew he was impatient, ready to get off the plane, but his constant complaining wasn't helping things and wouldn't get the plane moving any faster. Of course, if the pilot had Rusty sitting next to him, tapping his leg and complaining, he might convince air traffic control the plane needed to move asap.

"This is crazy! We've been on this thing for like over five hours now!" Rusty exclaimed. He started to look around, and Sharon could tell something was bothering him.

"Rusty, is there something wrong?" she looked at him, and when she met his facial expression, she held back her smile. "Rusty, do you need to use the restroom?"

"Yeah, like a half hour ago, Sharon, but the whole stay in your seat announcement was going on then. I really need to go, and I swear as soon as this plane is parked, I'm out of here."

Sharon held back a chuckle and pursed her lips again to deliver the bad news, "Rusty, I'm sorry you are in agony now, but even when the plane reaches the gate, it's going to take another 10 minutes or so for us to get off the plane. We're not in the first row, and you can't just run ahead of people. We have 22 rows of people in front of us who will get off first."

Rusty looked to her in horror, "Are you serious?"

Sharon shrugged, "I'm sorry, Rusty, but that's how it works. Don't you remember on the flight to New York we had to wait? It's the same on each flight," she explained. Rusty frowned at her, and Sharon held back her laughter. Rusty had entertained her the whole trip, even if that hadn't been his plan. The two had enjoyed their visit to New York, and it had been a long overdue vacation for her. She needed to take more vacations; she needed to visit her children more too. Rusty had never been outside of California, so the trip had been eye-opening for him. It was almost hard to believe their trip was over, but it was. The last three weeks had been somewhat of a blur of work, home, and Jack. Sharon was classifying home and Jack in different categories because home relaxed her, but right now, Jack didn't. Jack in her home didn't relax her at all. Work had picked up after they'd had a bit of a dry spell. The team had joked that the spring air had the murderers out again, but whatever it was, business was booming. They had stayed busy until the day of her flight, where she'd worked until almost 3:00 AM, had gone home to shower and change, and then she and Rusty had gone to the airport. She hadn't remembered much of that flight; she'd slept most of the way. Things with Andy had been okay at work. They'd tried to keep topics to one that didn't involve their spouses or ex-spouses, or really, whatever the Jack and Sandra of their lives was to be called. So, she'd been busy the last few weeks, and now that she was home, she was wondering just how long until she jumped right back into work.

"Seriously, how long are we going to sit out here?" Rusty groaned and put his head in his hands. Sharon knew he was in misery, and she started to pat his back, as he shook his head.

"It shouldn't be much longer, Rusty," she told him.

"It's like we are being punished for getting here early, like we are in a penalty box or something," he told her. "We leave a few minutes early, make good time across the whole country, and the least the airport could do is have our gate ready when we land."

"We are over a half hour early today, Rusty," Sharon pointed out. They'd had a very smooth flight with no issues taking off. Their early arrival now was causing problems with a plane still at their gate.

"They should just put us at a different gate,". Rusty told her.

He was interrupted as they listened to a message from the captain, and then the plane started to move slowly. Rusty's head popped up, and he looked to Sharon. "You shouldn't be in agony too much longer," she gave him a sympathetic smile. While they waited, she put her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. While she'd slept the flight to New York, she'd been awake the flight home. Now, just as they were about to get off the plane, she was finally feeling tired. She had really wanted to turn on her phone, but she was one for the rules, and they'd asked that passengers wait until they were at the gate to turn on their phones, even though she had heard several phones going off as they waited. She decided that until she was at the gate, she was still on vacation and didn't need her phone or anyone calling her on it.

The specific 'anyone' she was trying to avoid was Jack. She hadn't spoken to him all week, the two agreeing to some 'quiet time' while she traveled. The past three weeks had been okay with Jack, but she just wasn't feeling secure in her decisions. Jack was trying, and she knew that, but something still felt off. Well, it wasn't just something; it was a list of things that felt off, a few things she could peg and some she couldn't. One of the biggest frustrations came from physical intimacy. She was trying, and she really didn't know the problem. Jack had been somewhat persistent, and she'd slept with him again a second time before the trip, but she'd managed to avoid anything further with her full work schedule. She knew that she and Jack would have to discuss things sooner rather than later. The last thing she wanted to do was to get into a disagreement about that, about expectations and everything else. She sighed, and she felt Rusty looking at her, so she opened her eyes.

"You're ready to get off the plane too," he nodded, "admit it."

"Hmm, I will be ready, yes, but I'm not in agony to use the restroom," she smiled at him.

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. "What's the plan? Are we going to the condo? Is Jack making dinner? I'm hungry."

Sharon cleared her throat, "We will get our bags, get the car, and yes, we'll go to the condo. I don't know what the dinner plan is yet. Jack is most likely still at work, and I don't want to bother him, so we can get home and figure out dinner then. I'll wait until we are home to text him," she said glancing at her watch. "It's only 3:30 now."

"Yeah, but I'm starving," Rusty told her. "We basically missed lunch, and my stomach is on Eastern time."

"Rusty, we'll get you fed," Sharon chuckled and patted his arm. "That's one of the reasons I had us returning in the middle of your spring break. You have a few days at home now to readjust and relax before going to school on Monday."

"Finally," Rusty said quietly as the plane pulled up to the gate. Sharon glanced out the window, which was hard because Rusty was suddenly like a small child, glued to the window as he watched everything outside.

"Well, tell me," she nudged Rusty, "how was your first trip?"

He looked to her and smiled, "It was cool. Thanks for taking me to New York, Sharon," he told her.

"My pleasure," she nodded. "You were a good travel companion, and I'm very glad you got to spend some time with Emily and tour New York."

"It was pretty cool," he nodded, "even the dancing. I didn't mind watching her dance. It's crazy her feet can do that, stand up like that. My toes would probably break."

Sharon covered her mouth as she chuckled, "Rusty, she trained for years to do that. Her feet don't just do it alone. The shoes help too, but I'm glad it wasn't horrible. I know going to the ballet wasn't on your list of things to do in New York."

"True, and I'm still not bringing that up at school. That's not a cool thing to admit, that I went to the ballet to watch my foster sister dance," he grimaced. The plane finally stopped, and they could hear the door open. Both looked up as people started to stand. Sharon finally pulled her phone from her purse to turn it on.

"We can turn those on now?" Rusty asked, digging out his phone too.

"Yes, although, I was enjoying the silence," she teased. Both watched as their phones powered on. After a few moments and her phone still not on, she looked to Rusty. "How did yours come on so fast?"

"Airplane mode," he shrugged. "Didn't you use that?"

"No," she frowned. "I should have. I turned mine off. I didn't think of that."

"Well, who is the big traveler now?" Rusty grinned.

"Says the guy who is almost dancing to use the bathroom," Sharon smirked at him. They stood, as their wait to get off the plane was almost over.

Sharon's phone started going off, alerting her to text messages and voicemails. "I think my phone is on now," she frowned. Rusty started to laugh, and when it was their turn to get off the plane, Sharon moved out of the way to let Rusty go first. She got her phone out to check the messages. Rusty turned back to her as he continued to walk.

"I'll meet you outside the restroom," he grimaced. "I'm about to explode."

Sharon nodded, as she listened to the voicemail she had. She gestured to Rusty, and then she continued walking. It took her another couple minutes to walk up the ramp into the airport area. She looked around for the restroom and found it. As she walked up to it, Rusty walked toward her.

"Better?" Sharon grinned at him. He let out a long sigh.

"So not cool," he shook his head. "I never want to feel like that again."

Sharon patted him on the shoulder, "What did we learn about airline travel?"

"Use the bathroom when suggested," he smirked. Sharon had gone at one point during the flight and asked Rusty if he needed to go before she sat back down. He'd told her he was fine, and she was enjoying this mom moment right now.

"If you are ready, we can head to baggage claim now," she looked to him. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm guessing we aren't getting food here at the airport?" Rusty looked to her.

"The answer would have still been no before this," she held up her phone.

"What? Work?" Rusty asked.

Sharon sighed and nodded, "I'm afraid so. They caught a case about two hours ago. Lieutenant Provenza left me a message, updating me on the case."

"So, like, I thought you were still on vacation?" Rusty gave her an odd look as they walked.

"I am, technically, but," she shrugged.

"I get it," Rusty rolled his eyes. "You can't stand to be away from your team."

"Well it's not just that," she sighed. "There's more to it, mainly that I'm going back to work tomorrow, and as long as I'm back in town, I might as well head to work now." Sharon wasn't lying about that, and she realized she missed work after listening to Provenza's message.

"What's the plan, then?" Rusty asked. "Are we just going to work? I can drop you off at work."

Sharon shook her head as they arrived at baggage claim, "No, I'll take you home. That way I have my car when I finish tonight. It's fine," she shrugged. "I can take you home first."

"You sure?" Rusty asked, his eyes raised.

"I am," she nodded. The two waited a few more minutes for their bags. Sharon called Provenza to update him that she would be in shortly. Rusty retrieved their bags, and they made their way to Sharon's car. She'd driven knowing Jack had plenty on his plate. She wanted her car at work because she didn't want to rely on anyone to take her home later. Sharon wanted to control what she could control.

Once they found the car, the drive to the condo didn't take too long, at least by L.A. standards. Sharon and Rusty chatted about the sunny skies and warm temperatures, the stark contrast to the gray skies and still below freezing temperatures in New York. Traffic wasn't horrible, yet, but Sharon knew her drive back to would take longer than normal because of the time of day. It was fine; she was back in town and ready to work.

"Sharon, just drop me off at the front door, and I'll take up our bags," Rusty told her when they were a block away.

"I can help you upstairs, Rusty," Sharon told him.

"Sharon," he turned and frowned, "I'm fine, really. I can handle this. You need to get to work, and it's cool. The one good thing is I can go ahead and eat dinner now. I'm so hungry."

"You sure you don't mind?" Sharon asked.

"Sharon, really, it's not a big deal," he shrugged.

"I can bring my bag up later," Sharon suggested.

"Sharon! I've got it, really," Rusty started to laugh. "Accept the offer."

"Thank you, Rusty," she smiled at him as she turned into the condo complex. She stopped the car and got out to help Rusty with the bags. She reached to him and hugged him quickly, knowing he was touchy about that. "I''m so glad we went to New York together."

"Me too," Rusty nodded. "Be careful at work. I'll see you later."

"I'll call you if I'm going to be really late," she told him as she moved to her car door. "I'm not sure when Jack will be home. I'll call him later to update him, and you are welcome to text with him too."

"Okay," he nodded. "Bye," he waved to her. Sharon returned the wave and got into the car. She started to the office, while Rusty hauled the bags upstairs. He couldn't wait to eat, and the elevator seemed to be moving slower than normal. As he thought about it, he realized Jack had probably eaten everything in the house, and he might just be ordering a pizza. He'd check on the food situation first so he could order a pizza if needed. Rusty unlocked the door and pulled the bags into the condo. He took a look around and almost jumped because he thought he was alone. The problem was that he wasn't alone. Jack was home, and Jack wasn't even alone. No, Jack was home, in the middle of the day, while Sharon was out of town, and he had a guest. Rusty was pretty sure the woman, who was closer to Rusty's age than Jack's age, was not a client of his, not while standing in a skimpy robe on the balcony while Jack kissed the side of her neck. No, this was no client, and Rusty had quite literally walked into Jack's latest mess.


	21. Chapter 21

Sharon listened as Provenza gave her the case update. It sounded like an interesting case, and the team had made a lot of progress in the short time they'd been on the job. She asked a few questions and looked through the small file Provenza had already started on the investigation. The rest of the team continued to work while she and Provenza spoke in her office. It felt good to be back at work.

"Captain, if you don't have any additional immediate questions, I'm going to take care of something right now," he nodded to his phone. "Do you mind if I step out for a few minutes to return a call and maybe get a cup of coffee?"

"Of course, not, Lieutenant," she nodded to him. "Good work so far on the case. I'm going to go to the board and familiarize myself with everything."

"There's not much there yet, and Morales was backed up. He said he'd call up here when he's ready, and I expect that at any point. Maybe you can take Flynn down there when he's ready," Provenza nodded toward Andy as he suggested it.

"That will be fine," she nodded in agreement. It was hard to disagree that she and Andy were the best team in the morgue. No one liked going to the morgue, but it was part of the job. Sharon had started taking Andy with her back when he'd been her only ally, and as their friendship had grown, it just felt normal to request Andy go with her to the morgue. The team was used to it too, just as everyone seemed to have their "typical" job during murder investigations. Andy typically went to the morgue and pulled financials; that's just what he did best, just as Tao dealt with anything technical or medical, Julio provided background on gang intelligence, and Amy had a military connection, which they often needed. So, as Provenza suggested Andy accompany Sharon to the morgue, she just glanced toward his desk. Yes, Andy was the right one to go to the morgue with her; she was looking forward to telling him about her trip, and she was excited about catching up with him.

"I'll be back shortly," he nodded to her and disappeared. Sharon looked down at the paperwork she'd been given, and she started to read it, while Provenza scurried out of the room.

"Rusty, what is going on?" Provenza said, quite irritated, when he cleared the office area and got Rusty on the phone. Rusty had tried calling him three times while he was meeting with Sharon and sent him an endless number of text messages telling Provenza he needed to speak with him immediately.

"I just got here. I'm getting on the elevator," Rusty told him. "Wait, could you like come downstairs? I don't want Sharon to see me here."

"Oh, what did you do?" Provenza sighed and rolled his eyes. He walked toward the elevator and punched the button. "Please tell me you didn't do something stupid?"

"No, I didn't," he said, his voice agitated, "but, Jack did. Jack really did something stupid."

Provenza sighed and rubbed his hand on his head, "I'll be right down." It only took a few minutes before Provenza and Rusty were outside where they could talk in private. It was the rush hour; people were moving around everywhere, but they found a quiet area to discuss whatever had brought Rusty downtown in rush hour traffic.

"So, like, I don't know what to do," Rusty paced outside as he explained the mess to Provenza, who had stopped at the soda machine on the way outside and bought Rusty a drink. Rusty hadn't touched it yet, but Provenza was sipping on his cup of coffee he'd just bought from the vendor cart.

"You saw Jack with another woman?" Provenza asked to clarify Rusty's rant.

"I did more than that," Rusty dug out his phone. "I took pictures of them, together, on the balcony. Here," he passed his phone to Provenza with the photo evidence in hand. Provenza scrolled through the five pictures Rusty had taken quickly, almost all the same, but it was very clear what was going on at the condo. "He had his hands all over her, and I guarantee she wouldn't go anywhere dressed like she was."

"And, from this," he gestured to the phone, "you don't think Jack saw you?" Provenza asked.

"No, I'm positive he didn't see me," Rusty nodded. "I was barely in the house, and he was obviously distracted," he rolled his eyes at Provenza. "I didn't think about it at the time, but I dragged the bags with me down to my car. I was just acting, not really thinking, but in doing that, Jack doesn't know I was ever there."

Provenza nodded as he listened. Rusty had walked into a mess, and now, he'd put Provenza in the middle of it too, not that Rusty had done the wrong thing, but here he was, knowing way too much information about his captain. He rolled his eyes as he thought about that; she was more than his captain. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she'd become a friend, a good friend, and he hated that he now had to deliver this news. He might dare say it would devastate her, but it would irritate her to no end.

"Lieutenant," Rusty called to him. Provenza's mind had started to wander, and he turned to Rusty, "Lieutenant, how do I tell Sharon?"

Provenza sighed and shook his head, "I'll tell her. You don't need this on you. Send me the pictures," he gestured to Rusty where he was holding his phone again. "I'll talk to her today before she would ever go home. Here," he dug his keys out of his pocket and worked for a few moments to take his house key off the ring. "Don't lose this," he gave Rusty a stern look. "It's for my house. Go there, and you can stay there tonight. I have no idea how long we'll be here, but you can stay there. I won't let the captain go home without telling her. You said your bag is in your car?"

"Yeah," Rusty nodded. "I have both my bag and Sharon's. I was in the parking garage at the condo before I even realized I was pulling both bags."

"Good," Provenza nodded. "You have a key to her car, don't you?"

"Yeah?" Rusty said with a questionable glance.

Provenza gestured with his hand, "Put her bag in her car again. I don't know what she will do, but in case she doesn't want to go home, put it there. You can stay at my place. I have a guest room that Flynn uses on occasion."

Rusty's eyes grew wide, "Are you going to tell him, the lieutenant?"

"Not right now," Provenza told him. "Look, this is between Sharon and Jack," he rolled his eyes. "She will deal with him. It's not my job to spread the office gossip. She and Flynn have their own complex relationship, and I'm not going to be the one to spread things around, even as much as I hate Jack."

"See! It's not just me! I really thought I liked him, when he first came around here last year. Now that I know him better, he's just, I don't know," he shook his head and continued, "a slime."

"No argument from me, Rusty, but the captain is a good person, and she always tries to see the best in people. I know she thinks that of even Jack, that he might still have something inside she loved from long ago. I'd say after this, she's done romanticizing about what once was."

Rusty nodded, "You think she will be okay? I mean, I can stay here and tell her with you."

Provenza shook his head, "You go. I'll deal with this. She will be okay. She'll be mad, frustrated, and she might start doubting things, but she'll be harder on herself than anyone else. That's just how she is."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Rusty sighed.

"Go," Provenza nodded toward the parking garage. "Go, stay at my place. You can stay there tomorrow too, or at least we know what the plan is with Jack. There's some food there, but feel free to order a pizza or whatever. I'll be home later, and I'll make sure the captain knows where you are. Feel free to clean the place too," he smirked at Rusty. Rusty just rolled his eyes at Provenza.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," he nodded to him. "I really appreciate it."

"Just send me those pictures," Provenza nodded again to his phone. Rusty nodded in agreement and started to work on that. "I've got to get back to work, and then later, I'll tell the captain about dear old Jack."


	22. Chapter 22

"Everyone, go home for the night," Provenza hung up the phone and looked to the team members left in the room. "The captain and Flynn will be up shortly, but she'd like to regroup at 8:00 in the morning." He frowned slightly as the team still sat and looked at him, and it wasn't until he gestured with his hands did anyone start moving.

"Sorry, Lieutenant, but I thought you'd be the first to pack up. It's already after 10," Amy told him.

"Hmm, I'll get out of her soon enough. I need to speak to the captain first, but all of you get going," he said.

"Need any help?" Mike asked as he put on his suit jacket. He eyed Provenza, wondering what needed to be discussed this late at night. Provenza waved at him.

"No, it's fine," he sighed. "Go home and get some sleep."

Buzz, Julio, Amy, and Mike all started toward the door, and they met Sharon and Andy as they got off the elevator. The two had been in the morgue again, the second time for the evening, to check on a couple of inconsistencies with Dr. Morales. Their case was progressing, but they weren't going to get anything done at this late hour.

"Good work today," Sharon nodded at the team as they left. Andy held the elevator door for her, and then he continued to hold it as the team got on to go home. "See you in the morning."

Sharon and Andy continued to walk back to the office, side by side. Sharon had her arms crossed. "Wonder if Provenza fell asleep at his desk?"

Sharon chuckled as she thought of the image. She shook her head at Andy, "Stop. He's probably waiting to make sure we make it back up here."

"I suppose, but now, I'm dreading going home," he sighed and shook his head.

"Why?" Sharon turned to him, surprised, as he held the door into the office.

Andy ran his free hand through his hair, "I missed my grandson's birthday celebration tonight."

Sharon looked at him again, surprised, "Well, you couldn't do anything about that," she frowned. "Work. I'm sure Nicole will understand."

"Maybe," Andy said as they continued to stand there at the door to finish their conversation. "It's not just Nicole. Sandra will be upset, claiming I'm not putting family first. I just don't see how they can't get this, can't understand that when I'm at work, I'm at work," he gestured with his hand. "It's never a regular job. Nicole would probably be fine by herself, but I know Sandra will get things going. I just don't want to deal with it."

Sharon nodded and listened. She raised her eyebrow at Andy, "I assume you have a gift?"

"Of course!" Andy exclaimed. "I got this big boat thing, like a toy naval carrier," he told Sharon. "He's really into toys like that right now. It's a great gift. I just missed the family dinner and party. I'm going to see him tomorrow. I told them that I might have a problem when they scheduled it, but they wanted to have it tonight, on his birthday. I get that, but I can't just walk out on work."

Sharon patted his hand, "You are a good grandfather, Andy," she gave him a small smile. "He's lucky to have you. So many children have no one at all. He will understand, and he'll love the gift. I'm sorry the evening is stressful for you. Might I suggest something?" Sharon smiled as she leaned in to almost whisper. She had a teasing tone to her voice, a tone not heard by many and lately, reserved for Andy.

Andy eyed her, a small smile on his face. Sharon could always make him smile, "What might that be, Sharon?"

She offered a small shrug, "Take him a treat, a cupcake or something. You'll get a huge smile from him, and everything will be okay, at least in his eyes."

"Why, Captain, are you suggesting I bribe a child with sugar?" he teased.

Sharon gave him a flirty shrug of her shoulder, "I didn't say bribe, but it is his birthday. Maybe you should get two cupcakes, one for each of you, to share, and you can tell him that because you missed his cake, you're here to celebrate with him now."

Andy nodded and winked, "You're always sneaky. Thanks for the advice," he said.

"Captain, Flynn," they both heard and stepped away from each other. They weren't inappropriate, but they were standing close to one another. They turned toward Provenza who was watching them from the hallway.

"Lieutenant," Sharon said as she took another step away from Andy. "Are you heading out for the night?"

"Ah, I'd like to speak with you before I go," he nodded. "Flynn, I'll call you later," Provenza said, hoping to dismiss his friend. He wasn't about to go into graphic detail for Sharon with his friend there, even if the two idiots in front of him were close friends. That would be her decision, to tell Andy, and he needed to do this in private.

"Umm, sure," Andy looked to Sharon and then back to Provenza. He didn't catch Sharon's eye; she was looking at Provenza as well, but he nodded and started toward his desk. "Sharon, I think I'll take your advice," he told her as he reached his desk and turned back toward Sharon. She was walking toward Provenza who was still standing near her office. She turned to Andy and smiled.

"Let me know how it works out, everything," she shrugged. "You're a very good grandpa," she grinned at him. Provenza rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I'm out of here for the night," he threw a wave to the two. "You sure you don't need anything?" he looked at Provenza.

"I'm fine, GRANDPA," he waved at him. "Just need to discuss something with her," he hooked his hand at Sharon.

Andy smirked at Provenza and nodded to Sharon. "Night," he smiled and walked to the door. Sharon and Provenza watched him walk away, and she turned to eye Provenza.

"Something with the case?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, but let's sit, if you don't mind?" he said with a question and gestured toward her office. She nodded and followed him into her office, where he took a seat in the chair. She rounded her desk and sat down. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant? Is this about anyone in particular?"

"Yes, but no one here at work," he leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. "Rusty came to me earlier."

"Rusty?" Sharon's eyes grew wide, and panic started to spread across her face. Provenza held up his hand to keep her at bay.

"He's fine," he shook his head. "This doesn't involve anything Rusty did. Rusty came to me because he ran into a situation at the condo, and he didn't know what to do." Provenza reached for his phone in his pocket and pulled it out. Sharon pursed her lips and watched him. She shook her head, as if to say she wasn't following his explanation.

"Lieutenant, Rusty, he and I just got home," Sharon started to say, but Provenza raised his hand to stop her. He nodded.

"Look, Sharon," he sighed and shook his head as he tapped on his phone. "There's no easy way to say this, and I hate that we have to discuss this, but Rusty came to me because he didn't know what to do." He handed the phone across the desk, and Sharon reached for it, her hands slightly shaky as she met Provenza's eye. "Rusty walked into that at home," he nodded to the phone.

The room was silent as Sharon looked at the picture on the phone. Her facer remained expressionless, and she only looked up and eyed Provenza after a couple moments. He gestured at the phone.

"There's more there if you keep scrolling," he said as he coughed to clear his voice. Sharon pursed her lips and swiped with her finger, and she continued to do so, taking in all the photos as she kept swiping.

"Lieutenant," she sighed and cleared her throat as she looked back up at Provenza. She still had a blank expression on her face, but she handed the phone back toward him. "I'm sorry you were caught in the middle of this."

He eyed her, "Sharon, that's it?"

"Of course not!" she snapped, and then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and looked at Provenza, "I'm sorry. My frustration is misplaced."

He nodded, knowing that she was holding in a lot right now. He cleared his voice again, and Sharon looked at him, "Rusty is at my place. I sent him there earlier today. That was my coffee break, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now. It didn't seem like the time or place with work," he gestured to the room. Sharon nodded, and Provenza continued, "Rusty was pretty upset, but I had him send these to me. Would you like me to forward them to you?"

Sharon let out a long sigh as she dropped her hand on her desk. She looked at Provenza and nodded, "Please."

The room was silent for a few moments as Provenza tapped on his phone. He looked up at her when he finished, "Sent," and at that moment, Sharon's phone alerted her to a text message. Provenza continued, "Rusty is at my place. Look, he can stay there a couple days; it's no bother to me. I assume you have things to take care of at the condo?"

"Yes, I do," she gave a single nod. "I should have known," Sharon said as she rolled her eyes and looked to the ceiling. "I knew better than to trust my own judgement. I should have known."

"Captain, you have a quality that most wish they possessed; you forgive and try to see the best in people. Sometimes," he shrugged, "it works out, and sometimes, it backfires. We both know this backfired, and knowing you, you'll pick up the pieces and move on from here."

Sharon just nodded as she listened. She looked to Provenza again, "Are you sure you don't mind Rusty at your place?"

"No, not at all," he waved at her. "He won't eat me out of house and home because there's no food there. In fact," he paused and gave a slight smile, "it might look even cleaner with him there."

Sharon let out a nervous chuckle, but her eyes stared at her phone. It wasn't even open to the pictures, but she knew they were on her phone, almost taunting her. She sighed again as she stared at it.

"I was so stupid," she let out a slight groan.

"I know I just dropped this in your lap, but do you have any idea what you are going to do?" he asked.

She pulled her hands together and leaned in toward him, "Jack will be gone; you can be assured of that. I am going to stay at a hotel tonight; that's what I am going to do, and tomorrow morning, I am going to reclaim my condo," she enunciated. "It's much too late to deal with this tonight, and I'm not about to get into a domestic dispute. Lieutenant, do you think you can handle things in the morning for a few hours? You were doing just fine before I got back, and the case is moving along nicely."

"We'll be fine," he nodded to her. "I'll just tell the team you had an appointment already scheduled you'd forgotten about until the morning."

"Thank you," she pursed her lips, as if still in thought. She looked to Provenza, "I know I don't have to ask you to keep this between us, at least with the team, but I'm also asking that you not discuss this with Andy."

He raised his eyebrow at her, "Well, I had no plan to tell him myself, but the way you said that," he looked at her with a curious glance, "it sounds like you aren't planning to tell him at all."

"I'm not," she said flatly and sat back where she crossed her arms. "Andy and I are friends, yes, but this isn't something I want to discuss with him. He's in the middle of his own family drama." Provenza raised an eyebrow at her, and he shook his head.

"I believe you and I share the same opinion on that mess," he gave her a single nod.

"Possibly," she pursed her lips again, "but it's not my place to discuss that with him, just as I'd like to not discuss Jack with him either. Please," she eyed him.

He sighed and shook his head, "I really think you should tell Flynn."

"It's embarrassing enough, Lieutenant," she sighed. "I care about Andy too much to involve him in this."

Provenza made a face at her, "That logic makes no sense."

She shrugged, "It does to me, and I don't want to involve Andy."

"Fine," he waved at her with a defeated sigh. "You know I won't say anything, but I'd like you to reconsider telling him. You know the idiot cares."

"Hmm, yes," she nodded, "that's part of the problem. He'd end up arrested for killing Jack."

Provenza rolled his eyes, and he waited for Sharon to meet his gaze. He folded his hands, which were still on her desk, "Look, I know you are going to beat yourself up about this, but you know how to handle this. I'm here if you need anything. Rusty is fine with me. I'll even make him breakfast tomorrow, regular bacon, none of that healthy fake bacon you eat."

Sharon held back a small smile, "Thank you," she said as she choked out the words. "Thank you for this," she nodded to the phone and for taking care of Rusty."

"You know I'll do anything for that kid," he sighed and looked sternly at her, "just don't tell anyone that."

She nodded, "It's late, Lieutenant," she told him. "Please, go home. I'm sure Rusty is up and waiting."

He nodded and stood. He looked at her, still seated at her desk. "You aren't planning to stay here all night, are you?"

"No," she sighed as she stood too. "I am going to go to a hotel. I have been traveling and working. I need to decompress with all this, and tomorrow morning, I'm going to take back my condo. Tonight, I'm going to try and relax, take a hot shower, and just think."

He nodded and started for the door. He turned back to her, "Rusty put your suitcase in your car. He didn't realize he was still pulling the bags until he got down to the parking garage. I'm sure you know, but he didn't say anything to Jack. Jack didn't see Rusty either. Your things are waiting, and Rusty has his things at my place. Maybe I'll even have him do his laundry before he goes back home," he rolled his eyes.

Sharon gave him a warm smile, her eyes almost watery, "Thank you, again, Lieutenant," she nodded. "You are a true friend."

He nodded back at her, "I watch out for my friends. As much as it pains me to say this, think about telling Flynn. I think he could help you much more than I can."


	23. Chapter 23

It was late, but the bar at the hotel was bustling. Sharon really needed to go up to her room, but she was almost too tired to move. It had been very late when she'd finally left work. After she and Provenza had finished talking, she'd sat at her desk for at least 15 minutes, in silence, just thinking. Yes, she'd been stupid to want to trust Jack. Yes, she'd ignored the warning signs, even the silent ones, in her head that had told her to keep Jack out of her home, and further, out of her bed. She'd been stupid, but she wasn't going to let that happen again. No, Jack had burned her for the last time. 30 years, over 30 years, she'd allowed him to be in her life, and she finally realized that he wasn't going to change. No, the man she thought he COULD be was not the Jack he was. He might have loved her at one point, but Sharon knew he didn't now, not in the way a husband loved his wife. She had hopes that he'd changed, but deep down, she was realizing that SHE had changed now. Jack was still Jack, sweet talking his way into her life when it was convenient. Sharon was done allowing it to happen. She wasn't going to settle for Jack and his problems anymore. She was strong, and for once, she was going to stand up for herself in her own marriage. She'd done it before, at least with obtaining a legal separation, but she'd do even more this time. She shook her head, thinking about that too. Jack was not going to use the legal separation and their recent situation against her. She would protect herself.

She sighed as she sipped on her glass of wine at the booth. She really did need to go to her room, but it was dark and empty; she'd already stopped in her room, but then she decided she needed a drink after the day she'd had, so here she was at the bar. Before she'd left work, she'd made a reservation online at her favorite chain hotel, not that she'd ever stayed at the one near work. She finally collected her things and made the short drive to the hotel, where she'd checked in, collected her room card, taken her bag to her room, and finally, she'd ended up here in the bar. Yes, she needed to call it a night because she had a big day ahead of her.

He'd slept with a woman in her condo, in her bed, and that was not ever going to happen again. Sharon sighed and shook her head as she thought about it. The thought disgusted her, and she was planning to scrub her condo from top to bottom after the slime was gone. Yes, Jack was pure slime, and there was no telling how many women he'd had at the condo in her absence. She'd deal with that tomorrow.

"Would you like some company?" Sharon snapped up her head to find a strange man smiling at her. He wasn't just smiling. He was flashing a flirty smile at her, a suggestive smile.

"No, thank you, though," she nodded to him. He gave her another glance, and she explained further, "Long day, and I've got a lot on my plate."

He glanced to the table, "I don't see any plate there," he winked. "I'd be happy to listen."

"I'm fine," she gave him a small smile. "Enjoy your evening."

The man nodded to her and walked away. She continued to sit, and after a few moments, she started to chuckle-at least she could still attract men, not that she was looking. No, she had one man on her mind tonight, and it wasn't for any good reason. Jack. She needed to regain her life, her condo, and her dignity. It started with removing Jack and all things belonging to Jack.

Morning came before Sharon knew it, not that she slept much, but by 7:00, she was freshly showered and ready to get to work-on regaining her life, not to the office. She had planned to drive to the condo that morning and confront Jack, but that changed overnight when she received a text from him as she was climbing into bed at almost 1:30 AM. He hadn't sent her a text in several days, and of course, now she knew why. He'd been busy with other women.

 _"What time does your flight get in today?" his text read. Sharon read it twice and rolled her eyes. He didn't even know what day she was coming home, and of course, didn't realize she'd gotten home the day before. He was finally going to bed for the night and probably thought he'd caught Sharon at the airport in New York, nice and early, ready to board her flight. To verify, Sharon pulled up her email to check the one she'd sent to him with her travel itinerary. Yes, there it was, the day and time. Jack either hadn't looked at it or had somehow gotten the dates confused. She shook her head, and before she sent him a reply, she tapped her hand on the phone as she thought of a new game plan._

 _She picked up her phone and typed out a response, "I'll be back at the condo at 10:30, alone. Rusty won't be home until later. Maybe you are free?" She smiled to herself as she sent it. Jack would think it was an open invitation, which it was, but just not for what he had in mind. It only took a few seconds for a reply._

 _"I can't wait. I've got an early meeting at 7:30, but I'll see you at the condo at 10:30. Safe travels," he'd told her._

 _She almost laughed after she'd read that. Jack was wishing her safe travels. He'd been so caught up in his women, he'd gotten the wrong date. She'd inform him of the mix up when she saw him because she was going to make sure he'd been seen by Rusty._

Now, it was just after 7:00, and she was ready to go. She hadn't slept well, but that was no surprise. The hotel had been quiet, and the room had been comfortable, but she had a lot on her mind. Thankfully, Provenza had things covered at work for a few hours, but shortly after 7:00, she pulled her bag with her to the elevator and took it downstairs to check out of her room. She spotted a coffee shop next to the bar and decided to get a cup of coffee for the road. By 7:30, she was in her car and on her way home. Traffic was heavy, but that wasn't anything surprising. With her location, she hoped to make it to the condo by 8:00.

She pulled into her parking spot in the condo garage at 8:05 and nodded to herself that Jack wasn't home. She knew Jack would use her spot while she was away, and she hummed as she reclaimed her spot. It was a small step, but it was the first one in reclaiming her condo and her life. It only took her a few minutes to arrive at her front door, and she sighed as she looked at it. Her door. Her condo. It wasn't Jack's condo, and it never would be, ever. She was stupid for letting him back into her life, but that was over now. Thankfully, she hadn't told the kids much, just that he was staying with her while waiting for his apartment. She hadn't gotten into specifics, and they hadn't asked. Rusty knew, and she was hopeful he hadn't said anything to Emily or Ricky. She wasn't going to ask, and at this point, she just needed Jack out of her life. Whatever the kids knew, they wouldn't be surprised to find out Jack was not staying in the condo. Sharon hoped she wouldn't have to get into more specifics, but she would cross that bridge if she had to later.

She unlocked her door and walked inside. She sighed as she looked around. The place wasn't neat and tidy; Jack still had a couple of plates on the coffee table, along with his coffee mug. He'd probably had breakfast sitting there. It was the least of her worries now. She pulled her bag inside and left it by the front door, so she could get to work. Her first stop was her computer printer to prepare the evidence for Jack.

It took her two hours and a lot of packing, but by 10:00, she was ready for Jack. She still had cleaning to do, but she'd removed anything that belonged to Jack, as well as a few items she didn't want in the condo anymore because they reminded her of Jack. Now, she just had to wait.

For once in his life, Jack was true to his word; he arrived when he said he would. Sharon smiled slightly as she listened to him start talking to himself in the hallway. He had no idea she was on the other side of the door, standing against her door, listening to him as he arrived on the scene. Sharon couldn't remember the last time he'd been on time, early even as he was today, for anything, really. Of course, she shook her head knowing that Jack was early hoping that he'd catch Sharon alone in the condo where they could mess around in the middle of the day. She continued to smile as she listened to him rant in the hallway.

"What is all this? What is going on? Sharon! Are you in there?" Sharon heard him ask as she stood there at the doorway. She took a deep breath, pulled her favorite purple shirt down over the top of her favorite jeans, smoothed her hair, turned, and she opened the door.

"Jack," she pursed her lips as she took in the scene. While she was in her favorite casual outfit, Jack was in one of his new suits, his tie already loosened, obviously planning to remove it once inside the condo. His eyes snapped up to hers, and she held back a smile as she continued, "Please keep it down. I don't want to create a domestic disturbance, but," she shrugged, "my team would love to come here and remove you."

He eyed her, "What has gotten into you, and why are my things lined up here in the hallway? Why is that mattress out here?"

She glanced at the mattress, the couple suitcases, and the three boxes of other random items and shrugged, "They are yours, so I would assume you would like them now that you are leaving the condo. As for the mattress, it's your lucky day; it's not staying here."

"Leaving?" Jack looked to her, very confused. She tapped the door where she had an envelope taped to it with his name on it.

"You didn't open the envelope?" Sharon asked almost innocently.

"No!" Jack raised his voice as he got more and more frustrated. He shook his head, "What is going on? I left this morning, and things were fine here. I get home, you're here, and my things are in the hall."

She nodded, "Yes, my home," she gestured, "not yours. You see," she reached for the envelope and opened it gingerly, and she turned back to him as she continued, "I have some very incriminating photos, Jack. It looks like you have overstayed your welcome both at the condo and in my life," she said sternly as she handed the photos to him and shook her head in disgust.

He eyed them, and she could tell reality hit him. He looked at the first two and then back at her, "What is this?"

"Hmm, see, my first question was-'Who is this?' As you can see that I was very surprised to find a strange woman in my condo. Jack," she shook her head, "you just can't change. You don't want to change, and really, I should have known that from the start. Maybe now you understand why I'm giving away my mattress. It's yours, and all I can say is I'll be happy to be rid of it."

"Sharon, this," he gestured with the photos, "was just a one-time thing. Wait," he snapped his head up toward her, "How did you see this?"

"Jack," Sharon looked to him with a fake smile, "Rusty and I got home YESTERDAY. Our flight was yesterday, and if you would recheck your email, you would see that you had the wrong date. I dropped off Rusty at the condo yesterday morning when we got home so I could head into work. The team caught a case, and I wanted to get caught up on things. Rusty walked in and imagine his surprise when he found you on the balcony with her," Sharon gestured.

"Sharon," he raised his arms in defense. She knew he was trying to think of an argument about mixing up the flight information. "Look, it wasn't anything. She didn't mean anything."

"How dare you!" Sharon cut him off and pointed at him. "I'm going to say this now and right here," she gestured to her hallway. She had a feeling they had the hallway to themselves. She knew her immediate neighbors, and both worked regular jobs. She also hadn't seen either of her neighbors' cars downstairs when she'd pulled in that morning. "How dare you, Jack! Yes, I was stupid enough to let you back into my life. I was so stupid, but I will not do that again. You will never change. If it's not a woman, it's drinking or gambling. At times, it's been all of that in one!" Sharon said as she threw her hands in the air. "Jack, I'm done. I will be filing for divorce, and if you even think of challenging anything, challenging the legal separation since this latest reconciliation, I will sink you. I will make sure these photos are delivered to my lawyer, and trust me," she paused to look him in the eye, "it will not go well for you. Today, you are going to remove your things from my building. I don't care where you go while you wait for your apartment, if you really even plan to stay here in LA. You will go, and I will have my attorney call you. Our finances are separate, and again, don't mess with me about that. I'm sure you've pulled a few $20 dollar bills here and there from my wallet while I wasn't paying attention. That's just how you are. I will tell the kids we are finally getting a divorce, and anything you tell them is up to you. If you want to bring up what has been going on here with us the last couple months, I'll do the same about your most recent behavior. I suggest," she paused to catch her breath, "you leave the kids out of this, Jack."

Jack looked to the ground and shook his head, "Sharon, you always freeze up on me. You almost play with my emotions. You let me in and then shut me out."

"Don't!" Sharon pointed at him. "Your infidelity again is not because of me. You decided to do that. Yes, we've had our problems, but that is not something you can blame on me. I was cautious, maybe even too cautious, but now, I see that I had good reason. Jack, we are done. I think we are better to agree that it isn't going to work."

Jack shook his head, and he sighed, "You never did want me back in your life, did you?"

"Oh, you have no idea!" Sharon exclaimed as she looked to the ceiling and crossed her arms. "Jack, I've wanted my husband in my life for years, decades," she shook her head. "My problem is my image of that and reality are two different things." She turned her head toward him, "Jack, we're done."

"Sharon," he sighed and reached for her. She stepped back again.

"The locks are being changed at lunchtime. Please, just go," she shook her head.

The two were silent, and finally Sharon turned and walked back into the condo. She didn't look back at Jack. She closed the door and turned and put her head against it. The hallway was quiet, and she really didn't want to stand there and listen to Jack grab his things. She debated on locking the door, but she didn't want to stir things up even more. She knew that if Jack did enter the condo, it wouldn't go well for him; Sharon would call the team. So, she quietly stepped away from the door, away from Jack, and she took her first steps toward her future.


	24. Chapter 24

Sharon didn't leave her condo until after 11:30 that morning. She wanted to make sure Jack had collected his things and had finally left the building. While waiting, she retreated to her balcony where she could work in silence away from the front door. It worked. She called Provenza, and she was glad to hear they'd finished their search and found the weapon. An arrest was planned, and it sounded like by the time she arrived, they would be close to wrapping up the case. Provenza had told her not to rush, and as much as she wanted to jump right back into work, she knew that she needed to take care of a couple of things in her personal life. She rarely put it first, but today, she needed to do just that. She called Rusty, and she reassured him that it would be safe to return to the condo. Not much was said between the two on the phone; Sharon and Rusty just operated that way, but she explained that Jack was gone and wouldn't be a problem at the condo. Sharon knew Rusty had been more involved than either of them had wanted, and she hated that. Rusty had seen way too much in his young life. Sharon did not want her personal life to resemble anything like Rusty had seen with his own mother. She needed to provide a safe and stable home for Rusty, free of drama and a revolving door of men, not that it had been that, but Jack had been problem enough. No, right now she needed to focus on her home life. She needed it to be safe, drama-free, and stable for Rusty. Her attention needed to focus on her divorce and that alone. Sharon had work, Rusty, Emily, and Ricky. She didn't need anyone else right now.

As she sat on her balcony and thought about that, she sighed, remembering that Provenza had suggested she tell Andy. Andy. She didn't know where, or if, he fit into her newly organized lifestyle plan. Yes, he was her friend, but he had been battling his own home struggles lately. Right now, telling Andy wasn't an option, at least in her mind. She didn't want him hunting down Jack, something she was sure he would do. She also didn't want him focusing on her problems or struggles when he had his own. She knew Andy, and she knew he'd feel badly for her; he'd want to be there for her, but she knew that wasn't exactly healthy if he was working out things with Sandra. On more than one occasion, she'd gotten the vibe from Sandra that she needed to step back and leave Andy alone. Right now, she needed to do that, both for Sandra and herself. That didn't even address the fact it was embarrassing to explain. She'd let her guard down and trusted Jack again. And again, she'd been stupid and had gotten hurt. Never again, but Andy needed to be left out of this, at least for now. It was Sharon's problem, and she'd handle it.

When Sharon felt she'd given Jack a sufficient amount of time to collect his things, she finished getting ready for work, which involved changing her clothing and collecting her things. She checked her peephole before she opened the door, and she let out a long sigh of relief when she found it empty. Empty. It was almost as if Jack hadn't been there, but he had. He'd broken that last bit of trust Sharon had given him, but he'd also completely closed the door on their marriage. Sharon was part of that too. She'd closed the door, but Jack's latest actions had been that final push she'd needed to do anything. Yes, she'd call her lawyer; it wouldn't be today, but she would. She was eager to untangle herself from Jack, but after 30 years, she knew it wouldn't happen right away. Removing him from her life, her condo, was the first step. She'd done that, and over the next few weeks, she would take the legal action to start that process officially. Hopefully, by the holidays, Jack would be out of Sharon's life for good, legally and personally.

So, Sharon finally ventured out of the condo again, now free of Jack, and started toward work. She checked her watch, and with it being lunchtime, she knew she should grab something to eat on the way. She could eat in her office. She also had one other stop to make, something she'd researched before leaving the condo, mattress shops. Yes, she was in the market for one, and she wasn't really looking forward to shopping. She just wanted to pick one out, purchase it, and be on her way. Sharon loved to shop, but shopping for a mattress was not exciting to her. She had found two stores on her route, and after some quick research, she'd found one had better customer reviews. After a short drive, she arrived at the store.

It only took her 40 minutes, which was an eternity in her mind, but Sharon found a mattress. She even scheduled next-day delivery for just an additional twenty-five dollars over the regular delivery price. In her mind, it was worth it, especially considering she was currently without one. She'd live, even if was one night on the couch. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was worth it to send it with Jack. A fresh start was in order, and she was happy with her purchase. She'd found one she liked, even on sale, so her day was looking up. It was a bonus a sandwich shop was in the same shopping center, and by 1:00, she was walking into her office, her day exhausting her already.

"Oh, Sharon," she looked up as she rounded the corner. Sharon was busy digging through her purse looking for her office drawer keys. She'd thrown her key ring in her purse, and despite its relatively small size, Sharon always seemed to lose everything in it.

"Andy," she smiled, and as she did, Sharon realized it was her first true smile of the day. Something about Andy made her smile, and yes, while the two had gone rounds long ago, the last couple years, Sharon always seemed to relax and smile around Andy. She knew he was a good friend, and right now, he had no idea how much Sharon needed to smile. "How are you?" Sharon asked as she found her keys and pulled them out. Andy had been walking from the break room to the office. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, and he smiled back at her.

"I'm doing well, but are you okay? It's not like you to forget an appointment and come in late. Provenza said you'd told him that and asked not to be bothered," he explained. Sharon listened and nodded as he spoke. That explained why she hadn't heard from anyone all morning. She had somewhat expected Andy to text her at home, to check in on her, but now she knew he was doing what she wanted; he was being a good friend.

"I'm fine," she shook her head quickly. "In my travels and all," she waved her hand, "I forgot I had things to take care of this morning. All is well, and I've heard that the case is coming along nicely."

"Yeah," he sighed and nodded, "Sykes and Mike are in talking with the dirt bag now," he rolled his eyes. "I needed a little pick me up," he lifted his mug. Sharon smiled at it and nodded.

"I'm going to drop off my things at my desk. I haven't even had my lunch yet," she held up the bag with her lunch. "It can wait until later. I'll meet you in electronics shortly."

"I won't tell the boss if you want to eat your lunch first," he winked and quickly squeezed her shoulder as he walked by her. Sharon entered the office and found it empty; the team was just down the hall. Sharon moved to her office, put her things away, and she put her lunch on her desk. She was hungry, more than she expected. Dealing with Jack had taken it out of her, and she quickly opened her lunch and pulled out her salad. She didn't have time to eat it all now, but she decided to take a few bites. She also had a croissant and picked at that while she scanned a few papers on her desk. She'd left them sitting out when she'd left the night before, and before she knew it, she'd finished the croissant and scanned her paperwork. She closed her salad and walked to electronics.

Provenza was seated next to Buzz in electronics, but when Sharon opened the door, he eyed her and stood up, gesturing for her to take the chair. She gave him a small smile, and when their eyes met, Sharon gave him a single nod; yes, Jack was gone. That was all Provenza needed. He returned the nod and moved to the side. Sharon scanned the room, noting that Andy wasn't there. Sharon took her seat, and she looked to Buzz.

"Captain, they are almost done with him. Lieutenant Tao has him writing out his confession," Buzz explained.

"Well, she can see that, Buzz," Provenza grumbled as he pointed at the screen. Sharon waved her hand toward Provenza and turned to Buzz.

"Thank you, Buzz. I've heard the case is moving along nicely," she told him.

"We can be out of here at a normal time tonight if Tao would hurry up in there," Provenza gestured to the screen.

"Where are Julio and Andy?" Sharon asked, looking around.

"He's collecting the preliminary ballistic report," Provenza nodded to her. "And, Flynn," he started to say, but the door opened, and all eyes turned to it.

"What about me?" Andy said as he entered, juggling two mugs in his hands. He put a steaming mug down in front of Sharon, the tea bag still in it, and she looked up at him and smiled. He winked at her as he closed the door. "I'm here. I told you I was getting a cup of coffee. I ran into Sharon in the hall, and because she admitted to not eating lunch, I turned back to the break room to made her a cup of tea. It's not food, but it will keep her from fainting on us."

"No, that's your specialty," Provenza grumbled as he sighed. "Back to Tao there," he gestured to the screen, "he and Sykes are almost done." Sharon just nodded as she brought the mug up to sip on it. She decided it was still too warm to drink, but she turned to Andy and nodded to her mug.

"Thank you," she mouthed to him, and he gave her a quick nod and smile.

They studied the monitor for a few minutes. Mike was just collecting the paperwork. He and Amy were still speaking to their suspect, and the group all looked up when the door opened, and Julio walked in with a stack of paperwork.

"Lieutenant, here's the preliminary report," he said as he entered. He spotted Sharon and offered a small smile and nod, "Ma'am, good to see you."

"Julio," she nodded and attempted another sip of her tea. It had cooled off some, and the warm liquid tasted wonderful to her as she sipped on it.

Julio passed along all the paperwork and turned back to the monitors, "Is Tao about done?"

"Yes," Provenza explained. "Why don't some of you go and start your reports," he gestured to Julio and Andy. They both nodded, but before Julio opened the door, he turned to Sharon.

"Did they tell you were are going out for a drink after the case?" Julio looked at Sharon.

"No," she gave him a small smile. "It looks like we should finish at a normal hour for all of you to enjoy that."

"Oh, I was inviting you, Ma'am," he nodded to her.

"I think I'll just work late here," she told them. Andy frowned, now standing next to Julio by the door.

"Come on, Sharon," he encouraged. "You can tell us all about taking the kid to New York."

Sharon sighed, as the trip now felt like it had been weeks ago instead of just the last few days. "I really should get home. I told Rusty I'd see him at home."

"Rusty is on spring break," Provenza jumped into the conversation. "We'll go to a restaurant, a sports bar, and Rusty can join us," he gave her a single nod. "I think it would do both of you good to join all of us. You are part of the team, Captain."

Sharon looked around the room, at the faces of some of her team. They cared about her, and they cared about her family. She had no dinner plans, no food at home. She hadn't done any grocery shopping since she'd returned, and anything of substance, she was sure Jack had eaten. She nodded, "Rusty and I will be happy to join you."


	25. Chapter 25

"I'm sorry about Jack," Rusty said, breaking the silence in the condo. The two had just arrived home after having dinner with the team. This was the first moment they'd had alone, and she turned to him as she prepared a cup of tea in the kitchen. Rusty had followed her to the kitchen, and he took a seat at the bar area and watched her as she started working in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry you had to walk in on that, to find yourself in the middle of my mess," she sighed and shook her head. Sharon stopped making her tea and turned to him. "You've been through enough, and besides," she sighed, "a child, no matter the age, should have to see family issues like that."

He shrugged, "I know you. You didn't want that, Sharon. You always see the good in people," he paused, trying to decide what to say next.

"Rusty, I want you to know that Jack will not be back," Sharon explained and crossed her arms. "I'm done with Jack; I'm going to file for divorce. It's been a long time coming, and it will happen. I should have done it a long time ago, decades ago even, but for many reasons, some complicated and some just emotional," she sighed, "I didn't, but he's burned his last bridge with me."

Rusty looked down at the counter and nodded. When he looked back up at Sharon, he said, "I'm just sorry he hurt you. I didn't want that. I'm also sorry if you are mad I went to Lieutenant Provenza. I didn't know what else to do."

"Mad?" Sharon questioned and sighed. She shook her head and waited to catch his eye, "Oh, Rusty, I'm not mad at all." She gave him a small smile and continued, "Well, I'm mad at Jack. I'm not mad at you. You did the right thing, going to someone for help. I'm glad you and the lieutenant are so close you would go to him." I know you and Lieutenant Provenza have a very special bond.

He shrugged, "Yeah, he's always easy to talk to about anything. I know you talk to the lieutenant more, I mean, Lieutenant Flynn, but I felt almost weird talking to him about Jack, and I'm just not close to him. Like, he's your friend more than mine," he made a face and sighed.

Sharon pursed her lips and thought a moment before she spoke, "Rusty, think nothing of it. Lieutenant Provenza was the perfect person for you. I don't need to involve Andy in this, and quite frankly, I am not planning to tell him anything about Jack, at least not right now. It's a little odd, a little embarrassing, and besides that, he has his own family drama at the moment."

"Yeah, what was he talking about at dinner, some birthday party? I didn't hear all of that," Rusty asked. Andy had started to explain to the table that Sandra's birthday was coming up soon, in three weeks at the end of April. Ironically, Sandra's birthday was just three days after Sharon's birthday, and Andy had explained that Sandra had been dropping hints to him about throwing a birthday party. The team had listened for a few minutes, but they'd strayed off topic, leaving Andy frustrated as he sat next to Sharon. Rusty was on the other side of her, and he and Provenza started talking, which left Sharon there with a frustrated Andy.

"You were saying?" Sharon leaned in and gave Andy a shoulder nudge and look. He turned toward her and frowned.

"It's nothing," he waved. Sharon rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Andy, it's something. I'm listening even if the team has stopped," she grinned and gestured toward the rest of the group who had lost interest in their conversation. "What is going on with Sandra's birthday?"

"Well, it's right after your birthday," he started to explain. "I don't know why it's such a big deal, but she has been dropping hints about having a party, like she wants me to throw a birthday party. I suggested doing something with the kids and grandkids, but that didn't seem all that exciting to her. Anyway, I was hoping to get some ideas. I know of three or four friends of hers to invite, but otherwise," he shrugged, "I don't know. I'd just really enjoy having the team too, even if they aren't huge fans of Sandra," he grumbled.

Sharon gave him a small frown, "Andy, we all care. If you need us to be there for you, we will be there, even Provenza," she leaned in closer to him and whispered. That got him to smile and chuckle. "Are you thinking of a party at your house?"

"Yeah," he gave a slight shrug, " because that's where I'm most comfortable. I'm not going to have a party at her place. It's not my house, even if she keeps trying to leave my things there. I just," he sighed and stopped. "Look, I don't need to discuss this with you. I'm sorry. I was just hoping for some birthday party suggestions."

"What's her favorite food?" Sharon asked.

"Sushi," he replied easily and grimaced. "You know that I hate sushi."

Sharon nodded and hummed, "Yes, and you know I share that thought," she winked at him. He nodded and chuckled as he thought about it too. "Well, if she's a big fan of sushi, why not do a small catering order? You could do that and maybe some other dishes for others who don't enjoy sushi."

He nodded, "Okay, yeah, that would work. I guess the best thing to do is contact a restaurant or something."

"Yes," she nodded. "It shouldn't be too expensive if you are talking a relatively small group. If you figure out what the team likes, that will help, and you mentioned just a few other friends, well," she smiled, "that would be a nice birthday in my opinion, of course, minus the sushi."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I'd eat just about anything else. Thanks, Sharon. I can do that. Would you come? You and the kid, you'd both be invited," he told her. "I am going to invite the whole team. I know they don't know Sandra that well, but you guys are like family."

Sharon paused a moment. She knew Sandra didn't particularly like her, and this was for Sandra's birthday, but she was also Andy's friend and boss. He was planning to invite the team, the team she ran, so she nodded, "Yes, I'll come. I will do anything for you, Andy."

"Great!" he exclaimed as he smiled. "I'd really enjoy it to have some of my friends there. I guess I should get a cake too."

"I can give you the number to my favorite bakery," she patted his arm. "That will be nice and simple. Might I suggest a few decorations, maybe her favorite flowers, and then just go to the party store and get basic plates and all. That looks festive and makes the clean up go much faster."

"Wow," Andy shook his head, "I'm so glad I asked you about this. Thank you, Sharon," he smiled warmly at her. "Maybe I will see if Nicole can do something with her mother that day so I can prepare everything."

"I think you have most of your party planned," Sharon grinned, and the two turned their attention back to the table.

"Andy was asking for some advice on planning a birthday party," Sharon told Rusty, snapping her attention back to the present. Rusty was still siting across the kitchen from her, looking at her, while she had been daydreaming.

Rusty thought a moment and then looked at Sharon, "So, like did I hear he's planning a party for his ex-wife? What's the deal with them? Is he back together with her? I guess I don't understand all these people, and I'm asking you because I just saw it with you, getting back together with their ex-spouses or ex-boyfriends. My mom did it all the time, and it just seems weird, like almost unhealthy. Can you explain that?"

Sharon sighed and nodded. It was unhealthy; Rusty was right about that. She could see it with Andy, and she wanted to kick herself for not seeing it with her own relationship, at least until now. She now did see it, and she wasn't going to continue with her unhealthy lifestyle. "Rusty, it is unhealthy. You are right about that. I was blind and refused to acknowledge it before now, but I do know it was unhealthy. Andy," she shook her head, "I think he wants to try and make up for the mistakes he made in his marriage. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they are the best match anymore. Both have changed a lot since they were married, just as Jack and I changed too, but that isn't my business. It's not my place to tell him that. Just as I had to learn it almost the hard way, I have to let Andy figure this out. I could be wrong too," she shrugged. "What if they are right for each other? He's not drinking, and he's not like Jack. What if they have fixed the problems of the past?"

"Yeah, but you don't believe that, do you?" Rusty asked her

She shook her head, "No, I don't, but again, I have to be a good friend. I have to be there for him, but allow him to figure out all of this."

The two spoke for a few more minutes, and then Rusty told Sharon he was going to go back to his room. She heard him grab his suitcase from the foyer because, due to Jack, Rusty had not been home yet to unpack. Sharon opened her refrigerator and started to inventory the food. Jack had done a number; he'd eaten most everything there. She was going to have to do some shopping after work tomorrow, both for food and a few other items.

"Sharon?" Rusty call to her from down the hall.

"Yes, Rusty," she called back to him.

"Ahh, redecorating in your room, I see?" Rusty questioned.

Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, Rusty. All of that was part of sending Jack packing."

"So, like do you want to use my room tonight? I can totally sleep on the couch," he told her.

"No, but thank you," she called back to him. "You've done more than enough. You stay in your room, and I'll be fine on the couch." Sharon heard Rusty continue down the hall with his suitcase. Yes, she'd be fine for the night on her couch. She had a new mattress coming tomorrow, and she had plans to even purchase some new bedding for her fresh start. She'd sent that with Jack too. Right now, she needed a new look in her room. It seemed silly, but it was something. And, she was ready to move on. Sharon didn't need a man in her life. She had two boys and worked with a team of men. No, she didn't need one. She just needed to focus on her kids and her career, and that would be enough, or so she told herself.


	26. Chapter 26

"Everything looks great," Sharon turned to Andy and smiled at him. He was busy with the final party preparations, and Sharon had come over to help him with everything. Rusty had come too, and he was busy hauling in the various drinks from the back of Andy's car to be put on ice. Andy looked up from the counter where he was pulling the box top off the cake.

"Yeah?" Andy asked her and looked around at the place. "You think it looks nice?"

"I do," she gave him a quick nod and surveyed the room. He had followed her suggestions and ordered sushi. He'd not gone as far as to have everything catered, but it was close to that. He'd purchased most of the food, but then he'd decided at the last minute to add his homemade lasagna. No, it didn't go with a sushi theme, but Provenza and some of the others from the team had given him a hard time about the sushi. Andy, himself, didn't like sushi, and neither Sharon nor Rusty cared for it either. So, he went out on a limb and made lasagna, and it was now sitting in its spot surrounded by the other food.

"I hope it's not too weird I made lasagna with the other items. I know it was somewhat of a sushi theme, but I don't like it, you don't like it, Rusty doesn't like it, and I know Provenza doesn't like it either."

"It's lovely, Andy, really," Sharon patted his arm as he walked by her, carrying the cake. She followed to see how it looked. "The cake looks great too."

He turned to her, "Well, I have you to thank for the cake. I really appreciate you sharing your favorite bakery with me. They do make great cake."

"Cake?" Rusty called out to them as he walked into the room, carrying a case of water and some sparkling waters on top of that. "I don't know if I can eat another slice of cake right now. I'm caked out."

Sharon covered her mouth as she chuckled, and Andy looked between them. "What's so funny?"

"We've been eating her birthday cake for days now," Rusty grinned. "Don't get me wrong; I love cake, but I've had like three pieces a day to make sure it doesn't go bad."

Andy turned to Sharon with a questioning gaze, and she shrugged. He started to speak, but Sharon put her hand on his wrist, and she caught his attention, "It was a lovely birthday cake, so very thoughtful," she nodded. "It was just rather large."

Rusty started to laugh, and that got Sharon laughing too. Andy looked at the two, rolled his eyes, and he started to laugh as well. "Ha ha, I didn't realize a half a sheet cake was that big. Next time," he pointed at them, "I'll know."

Sharon touched his arm again, "Andy, I'm not complaining about the cake. I loved my cake. I can't remember the last time anyone got me a birthday cake. I really enjoyed it, and the team did too. Thank you, and you did get the right size for her party today." Andy had given Sharon's favorite bakery some business over the past week. He'd surprised Sharon at work with a birthday cake. That cake had been well-received, both by Sharon and the team, as they were in the middle of a case. He'd misunderstood the sizing, and that had led to the current jokes about the cake. There hadn't been time to stop and celebrate Sharon's birthday, at least not with a nice dinner or anything, but she'd truly enjoyed the cake from Andy and the team.

"Well," he made a face at Rusty, "after seeing just how large your cake was, I called the bakery and adjusted the sizing."

"Even Lieutenant Provenza took home a lot of cake," Rusty said. "That's what Sharon told me, and we still have a ton at our house. Good job on the cake, Lieutenant," Rusty grinned. "Sharon hasn't stopped talking about it. Good thing Jack is finally gone, or he would have eaten all of it." Andy's eyebrows rose as he looked to Sharon. She started to panic, and Rusty was unaware of anything going on at the moment. He finished pulling the waters out of the packaging, and he started back to Andy's car for the rest of the drinks. "I'll be right back with the rest of the drinks."

Andy tilted his head as he caught Sharon's gaze, "Jack's-"

Sharon interrupted him, "He's got his own place," she gave him a single nod, trying to end the conversation before it started. She turned toward the door, "I'll help Rusty." Sharon walked off quickly, leaving Andy there at the table. He didn't have much time to think about the conversation because Sharon walked by Provenza as she was walking outside.

"Flynn, I came to your party," he sighed. "I hope you have alcohol. I'm going to need it around your ex-wife all afternoon."

"It's in the kitchen," Andy waved at Provenza. "Thanks for coming, and you're welcome. I made lasagna."

Provenza turned after he started walking, "Real lasagna or that vegetable junk you call lasagna?"

"Vegetable lasagna," Andy sighed and rolled his eyes. "It is real lasagna, just without the meat."

"Lieutenant, I happen to think Andy makes a delicious lasagna," Sharon joined in the conversation as she and Rusty brought in the last of the drinks. Andy turned to see her.

"Oh, Sharon, you didn't need to carry all that," he sighed and ran to her. "I should have gone out there to help."

"I'm fine. I can carry a few drinks," she waved him off and continued toward the kitchen with the drinks. "Hello, Lieutenant," Sharon said once she put the drinks on the counter. She caught her breath, smoothed her hair, and then turned toward Provenza.

"Captain," he nodded. "I'm getting a beer. Would you like one?"

"No, I'm fine," she nodded. "Thank you, though."

"So, what time are the guests coming?" Rusty asked, and at that moment, there was a knock at the door. Andy answered it to find Amy and Cooper there. Over the next 10 minutes, the majority of the guests arrived-mostly the team, as well as three of Sandra's friends. By 5:30, the guests had all arrived, and they were just waiting on Sandra and Nicole.

Andy walked up to Sharon, who was speaking with Julio and Mike. She turned when she saw him walk up to her and smiled at him. "I'm kinda getting nervous," he said quietly to Sharon, and with his comment and expression, she excused herself from Julio and Mike to speak to Andy. He put his hand on her elbow to draw her in closer to speak to her.

"Why?" she said sweetly as she looked at him with concern. "You have a lovely party."

"I'm just worried shoe won't like it. She's not a huge fan of the team," he sighed. "I know I probably shouldn't tell you that, but it's true."

"Hello!" the turned at the sound and looked to the front door where Nicole and Sandra were walking inside. The party wasn't a complete surprise; Andy and Nicole had told Sandra they'd have a birthday party for her, but they had not explained the dynamics of the party ahead of time. "We're here!"

"Nicole! Grandma!" the boys went running toward the women. Andy, of course, had invited Dean and the boys. They'd arrived just a few minutes ago, and the boys were very excited for the birthday party. They often attended birthday parties for their friends, and Andy had already explained they wouldn't have the same games and activities as their usual parties.

"Hi, guys!" Nicole bent down to hug the boys. She and Dean hadn't been married a year yet, but the boys had quickly latched onto Andy and Sandra as their grandparents. Andy loved it, but it annoyed Sandra to hear them call her a grandmother.

Andy, who was standing by Sharon, caught Sandra's eye and moved quickly across the room to greet her. The guests all watched, and they couldn't help but notice she looked rather surprised.

"Happy Birthday," he smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her cheek. She looked at him, still surprised and shook her head. "Andy, I thought we were having a small, family party, just you, me, Dean, and Nicole."

He shrugged, "I thought you'd enjoy a bigger party. You had hinted you wanted one with your friends. They are here too," he nodded to the room as he gestured with his hand. "I've also invited the team." She gave a single nod and pursed her lips. Andy stood at her side, and he looked to the room. "Well, our guest of honor has arrived," he chuckled. "Please, help yourself to food. Eat, mingle, enjoy. We'll have cake a little later."

Once Andy said that, the guests resumed their discussions and a few, Provenza included, started for the food. Andy nudged Sandra toward the kitchen. "Let me show you everything I have for your party."

She looked around the house, "I thought we might be eating at Nicole's house, but then she told me we were coming all the way out here."

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, "this is my house, even if we are always at your place. I know you haven't been here in forever, but I hope this is okay."

"Happy Birthday, Grandma!" the boys yelled as they ran up to her. She jumped back, the boys scaring her, and she clutched her chest.

"Boys, you must never scare people like that!" she scolded them. Nicole walked up behind them.

"Mom, they were just excited to see you, and they wanted to give you something," she explained. The boys stood there, jumping up and down, with cards in their hands.

"Grandma, we made you cards!" Kyle yelled as he jumped. He handed her his homemade card.

"Here's mine, Grandma," Jake held his toward her too. The cards were definitely homemade, with glitter and glue covering the front of each.

"Oh, boys, thank you," she took the cards and looked up at Nicole. She made a small face, "I am not sure where to put these now."

"Mom, open them," Nicole encouraged. "They were so excited to make them."

Andy bent down to the boys, "The cards look great, boys. Would you like something to eat? Your dad told me you were hungry."

"Yes!" they exclaimed at the same time, and Andy stood. He took each by the hand, and he looked to Sandra, "Can the boys and I show you the food?"

Sandra was scanning the cards, and she looked to him with relief. He could tell she wasn't interested in the homemade cards. "Yes, Nicole told me we couldn't eat much for lunch."

"Well, that's because I have your favorite, sushi," he grinned, and he walked to the table with the boys next to him.

"Grandpa, what's that?" Kyle made a face as he pointed at the sushi.

"Sushi, but don't worry, Grandpa made lasagna too," he grinned. Andy winked toward Sandra, but she looked away, toward the table to survey it.

"You got sushi? You made lasagna?" she asked.

"Yes," he grinned. "I had some help on locating a sushi place, and I knew several from the team didn't like sushi, me included, so I made the lasagna," he told her.

Sandra frowned and turned toward him, "Hmm, sushi and lasagna, not exactly a normal combination. Can I speak to you?"

"Umm, sure," he said and looked to the boys. Rusty was walking by, and Andy caught him. "Rusty, would you mind maybe helping the boys?" Andy had looked back to find Nicole, but she'd made her way across the room to Dean. Rusty was the closest person to him, and Rusty looked at the boys and then back to Andy.

"Ahh, sure," he shrugged. "What do you need?"

"Maybe just help them with food," he suggested. "Sharon's over there," he nodded to her where she was talking to one of Sandra's friends. He could tell she wasn't really into the conversation, so he figured it was a way to rescue her. "I'm sure Sharon could help you."

"Yeah, cool," he smiled at the boys. "Come on, guys," he pointed to Sharon. "Sharon thinks you two are awesome. I'm sure she'll let you eat whatever you want."

Andy passed along the boys and followed Sandra into the kitchen. It wasn't really closed off from the rest of the house, but it was the closest room to talk. He could tell something seemed off as he followed her. Once in the kitchen, she spun around to face him.

"When I told you I wanted to do something with my friends for my birthday, I didn't mean this," she hissed, keeping her voice down with the guests in the next room. Andy frowned.

"What's wrong? I thought you'd enjoy a party here. I have your favorite food, a nice cake, as well as friends and family."

"I wanted a nice restaurant, something fancy so we could dress up. I was hoping to go there with a few other couples. Even then, I thought we'd have dinner with Nicole and Dean tonight and then go somewhere with my friends a different night," she explained.

"Oh," he frowned, "I was just trying to do something nice, to do what you'd enjoy."

"I'd enjoy a party without your team! You are always with them, and Sharon always comes too."

"She's part of the team!" Andy exclaimed.

"She's your boss! Most people don't hang out with their boss on a regular basis, and you've even invited her foster kid."

"Rusty is part of the family too. That's right," he snapped at her, "I consider the team and Rusty family, Sharon included. You should be thanking her. She came up with a lot of the ideas and tips for the party. She even passed along the name of her favorite bakery for the cake."

"I saw the cake. You know I love carrot cake, and it's not that," she snapped back at him. "Where did you get it? It's huge."

"It's the thought that counts!" Andy exclaimed. "I wanted to do something nice, and it's never good enough!"

"It's all in the details!" Sandra told him. They weren't being so loud that they had attracted the attention of the other guests, but the two were clearly irritated. "You don't pay attention to details!"

"I do! I try! I go the sushi you like, even when I hate it. You do like chocolate cake; that's what I got," he grumbled. "It's great cake."

"Oh, did you eat some already?" she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"No! Sharon's birthday was the other day, and we had a similar cake at work. It's great cake," he told her.

"Sharon, it's always Sharon," she smirked. "I'm sure you were attentive to the details for her cake!"

"What is wrong with you? I threw this party for you! You keep bringing up Sharon," he hissed.

"Grandpa! Sharon doesn't know where my cups are," the two stopped talking quickly and turned their heads toward the sound of the voice. There they found Kyle, his hand in Sharon's, and the two standing there. It was very clear that Sharon realized she'd walked into a mess, and Andy knew she had to have heard her name in the argument.

"Ahh, Kyle said he had a special kid cup here," she admitted and bit her lip. "I'll just take him to Nicole." Sharon turned with Kyle, and the two started out of the kitchen quickly.

"Sharon," Andy called to her and sighed. He looked back to see that Sandra was shaking her head at him.

"There you go again," she pointed toward Sharon. "She's fast with those long legs of hers, even in capri pants and sandals," she hissed. Sharon had worn a very casual outfit, white capri pants, a deep blue flowing shirt, and white sandals with a blue stripe on them to match her shirt. Sandra was in a sundress, a bright yellow one, with a long silver necklace. She had on high wedge shoes that made her as tall as Andy.

"What? She has done nothing wrong. She's been a great friend, and she helped with all this. While we are in here arguing, she's taking care of our grandson. She doesn't deserve you tearing into her."

Andy started to follow her, and he turned back to Sandra, "I hope you will go out there and do the right thing with your friends, my friends. They are all here for you tonight, or at least, they came here to support me." Andy looked around, but he didn't have to look far to find Sharon. She was at the door, trying to collect her things discreetly. He noticed Rusty was across the room talking to Provenza, and with all that, he followed Sharon. She opened the door and slipped out while the guests continued to socialize. Thankfully, the music and the voices helped to cover the argument that had just taken place in the kitchen.

"Sharon," he called after her as she walked across the lawn. She'd parked on the street, right in front of his house. Sharon didn't turn back, but she waved at him.

"Andy, I'm fine," she said as she continued to walk. Andy picked up the pace and caught up to her, where he touched her shoulder. She finally stopped by her car and turned toward him.

"Hey, I'm sorry back there," he sighed and shook his head.

Sharon shook hers too, "It's fine. You can't control your wife."

"Ex-wife," he corrected. "She had no right to attack you. You've done nothing wrong and have been a great friend. She's mad about the party, and she's taking it out on you. She shouldn't be doing that. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Sharon waved, and Andy finally released his hand from her shoulder. He hadn't even realized he still had his hand on her. Sharon stepped back to look at him. "I'm going to go. I don't want to upset her, and this party is for her. The last thing I want to do is cause a problem."

"I'd like you to stay," he caught her eye, "but I understand. You did so much, and this is all a mess," he grumbled. "I'm going to explain it to Sandra again. Sharon, I hate this. I'm sorry about this mess."

Sharon nodded and looked to the ground. When she looked up again, she saw that Andy was watching her. She gave him a small smile, "Go back to your party. Enjoy it. I'll go home. Word on the street is that I have birthday cake there."

He finally grinned at that and shrugged, "Hopefully, it's not going stale."

She chuckled and nodded, "I might just have to eat a couple of slices today before it does go bad. Rusty," she said quickly as she realized he was inside.

"I'll have Provenza drop him off," Andy reached for her elbow and touched it to get her to look at him again. "The boys seemed to be hanging all over Rusty, and he's welcome to stay. Please know you are welcome to stay too, but I understand it's uncomfortable. You, go and enjoy your time. I'm really sorry."

She gave him a nod, "You did a good thing, Andy. I hope she realizes it. It was very sweet of you to throw her this party."

"Apparently not," he sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to head back inside. I'm sorry again, and I'll make it up to you."

"Nothing to make up to me," she shrugged as she opened her door. "Friends help each other. I'm glad I could help you with this, and I do hope the situation improves. I'll talk to you later," she gave him a small smile and got into her car.

Andy nodded and watched as she started the car and pulled away. She gave him a small wave as she left, and he continued to stand there on the grass as she pulled away. Sharon looked back into her rearview mirror and saw a defeated man. She hated that for him, and she hated that he'd put so much effort into the day to have Sandra ruin it. Andy couldn't see it yet, she realized. He couldn't see that Sandra was toxic. She could see it, but he couldn't. As she drove and reflected on that, it hit her that her situation with Jack had to be similar. She wondered how many friends could see Jack was toxic and realized that was maybe why Andy was so volatile around Jack. Sandra wasn't going to change; she was trying to change Andy, and that wasn't going well. Jack wasn't going to change; Sharon finally knew that. She just hoped in all of this that she didn't lose her friendship with Andy. That was something she never saw coming, a friendship with a police lieutenant she had always loathed, but now, she couldn't imagine her life without him in it, as her friend Andy.


	27. Chapter 27

It was one of the best lunches she'd had in a very long time. She had been savoring each bite, closing her eyes as the flavors all hit her tongue. No two bites had tasted the same, and she was truly glad she'd saved this lunch to eat today. It was Monday, and Sharon was enjoying the leftover vegetable lasagna Andy had saved for her. The savory dish had been staring back at her from her refrigerator, but she'd held off eating it. It had been saved from Rusty's grasp, and now, today, she was finally enjoying it. Sharon had left the party quickly, of course, without eating any of the food, and Andy, sweet Andy, even with everything going on, he'd thought of her. She'd left Rusty at the party in the care of Provenza and Andy, and when he'd returned home, hours later, he'd come with the lasagna. Sharon had almost eaten it then, but she had stopped herself. She'd saved it for just the right moment, and today, here at work, it was the perfect time to enjoy Andy's lasagna. She'd had a long morning, filled with mounds of paperwork, and this lunch was hitting the spot.

"See, and I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I knew I smelled that," Sharon heard and looked up to the door where Andy had opened it and was walking toward her now. She gave him a warm smile and nodded to the table.

"A very kind man made this lasagna and saved some for me," she explained with a slight shrug of her shoulder. "While I might have obtained this under somewhat strained circumstances, it is much appreciated."

Andy looked down and nodded as he did. He continued to walk to her table and stopped when he reached it, putting his hands on the chair across from Sharon. "I'm sorry again about the party."

Sharon shook her head and gestured to the chair, "Do not apologize. You are welcome to sit and join me. I don't share this dish with just anyone, but with you," she smiled again, "I will happily share."

"No, I won't take your lunch," he waved his hands toward her, and Sharon shook his head.

"Nope, I won't argue. That's an order, Lieutenant," she pursed her lips and gave him a somewhat stern look. Andy smiled, knowing she was only teasing him.

"Well, if I'm joining you," he took a step away and started for the refrigerator, "I'll raise you a salad and a slice of cake." Sharon turned and looked at him as he spoke to her from the refrigerator.

"You have salad and cake?"she asked.

"Maybe," he winked at her. "I wasn't planning to share either, but you made a pretty good offer. You are good with deals."

Andy returned to the table and opened up his lunch bag. He pulled out the salad and the cake as he eyed Sharon.

"You came to the table prepared," she tried to keep a straight face and broke into a smile. "You may sit," she gestured to the chair. He nodded and pulled out the chair and sat while Sharon moved things around to put the remainder of the lasagna in the middle of the table.

"Thank you," he nodded and looked to the food. "You sure you are in a sharing mood?"

She raised her eyebrow at him, "When have I not been in a sharing mood?"

"Yeah, I'll not dig a hole and just say thanks," he winked. He picked up his fork from his own bag and took a bite of the lasagna. "Mmm, I never get tired of eating this."

"Did you have some at the party?" Sharon asked, the first mention of the party since she'd left. She had not asked Rusty about the party, but he'd only told her that it had been weird. Sharon had noticed Andy had been quiet all morning, but she had not wanted to bring it up in front of the team.

"No," he sighed and looked down as he wiped his mouth.

"Care to talk about it?" Sharon eyed him as she reached for a bite of the cake.

"No, and I hope you understand I'm just not wanting to discuss anything about Sandra or the party right now," he looked to her. She nodded; Sharon understood that. "Let's agree that we are going to share a nice meal and not discuss Sandra or Jack."

"Jack?" Sharon almost choked on her bite. "No, I don't want to discuss Jack."

"See, we are in agreement," Andy stated. "No discussion of either of them. Let's just leave them out of work. Deal?"

"Okay," Sharon agreed quickly. The two eyed each other before they resumed eating. Neither Jack nor Sandra were even in the building, but they seemed to be causing a tremendous amount of tension in the office. The two resumed lunch, but not much else was said. A quiet, awkward silence descended upon the two of them, neither sure how to move forward with any conversation.

The tension continued for the next couple weeks. Both Sharon and Andy seemed to be walking on eggshells around each other, neither one wanting to address their relationship issues. Work was fine; the two were completing their jobs as needed, but even after two weeks, the team was starting to comment on the tension.

"Flynn, what is going on with the captain?" Provenza asked one afternoon after she left early for the day. Andy looked up from the report he was reading, surprised at the question. Sharon had left just minutes before, without much information to the team. He'd watched her leave, as had the whole team, and while he wanted to ask where she was going, he'd held back because the two were having trouble being around each other.

"What do you mean?" Andy frowned as he looked around the room. He found everyone staring back at him.

"I mean the two of you have been weird for a couple weeks now. You're oddly formal with each other, and it's like you are dancing around some problem. What gives?" Provenza asked again. "Inquiring minds want to know; we are all the ones inquiring, so what's the deal?"

Andy shook his head, "Look, we're just trying to avoid discussing Jack and Sandra. That's it."

"We all want to avoid those two disasters," Provenza rolled his eyes. "How long is this avoidance going to cause issues here at work?"

"I don't know," Andy sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I know it's weird, that things have been awkward. It's May, and I know we are causing issues at work,, have been causing issues here at work. I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."

"Sir, since you brought it up, what is going on with your ex-wife? We haven't heard a word since the birthday party?" Julio asked. The room all turned and glared at him. "What? The lieutenant started it," he gestured to Andy. "We all know that party was a disaster, and Sandra wasn't happy."

"Guys, Sykes," he nodded to all of them, "look, it's complicated."

"No, it's not!" Provenza exclaimed. "Look, I've had about enough of this. Did you finally break off things with her like you said you were going to do?"

"Yes! Are you happy now? I've been moping around here because I'm mad at myself. I've been to meeting after meeting after meeting the past couple weeks because I feel like a failure again. I couldn't even make things work with my family a second time around, and Sandra isn't the same; I'm not the same! It's not going to work, and I hate that I thought it would. I hate that my kids were stuck in this, and I hate that I allowed myself to try and be happy. We had a huge fight after the party, even had one during the party. I ended it then, and the two of us are barely speaking now."

Andy let out a long sigh after he confessed to the team. He ran his hand through his hair, took a deep breath, and he sat back down in his chair. He looked up to find the team staring back at him, speechless.

"Lieutenant, I'm so sorry," Amy finally said, breaking the silence. "I knew things were rough."

"You can say that again," Andy mumbled and shook his head.

"It's about time, Flynn. She was a disaster. I told you it never works with the ex," Provenza caught his eye and shook his head at Andy.

"Don't need the sarcasm now, Provenza," Andy said through gritted teeth.

"Lieutenant, you can always talk to us. Why didn't you say something before now?" Buzz asked, the concern evident on his face.

"Because, it's embarrassing enough!" Andy exclaimed. "I was the idiot, am an idiot," he corrected himself. "I was the hopeless romantic that thought I could win back my ex-wife, and it took me too long to realize she wasn't what I needed in my life. I was willing to do anything for her, to change, even though I shouldn't have to change at all. I allowed her to question my sobriety among other things. I just need to forget about her, focus on work, and remind myself that I'm destined to be alone. I screwed up my life years and years ago, and because of that, I'm not deserving of anything more in life."

"Lieutenant, everyone deserves to be happy," Amy leaned forward on her desk and gave him a sad smile. "I mean, take a look at him," she gestured to Provenza. "He is still looking for love, which is disturbing enough," she grimaced. That earned a chuckle from most of the team, Andy included.

"It's just me," Andy sighed. "I've made a mess of a lot of things. I've tried to trust my gut, my own judgement, and I realize now I can't. I'm sorry, guys, really. I just keep going to meetings, and I really need to just cut my losses and move on. I need to forget about being happy."

"Andy, have you spoken to the captain about this? You two have become good friends. We all know that," Mike pointed out to him.

"I'm not going to talk to Sharon about this," he sighed. "We agreed no talk of Jack or Sandra. That's why it's been awkward. I don't want to know about Jack's involvement in Sharon's life."

"Oh, you idiot!" Provenza exclaimed, the whole group turning toward him suddenly. "I can't take this anymore from either of you. I'm sick of sitting in the middle of this soap opera. Have you ever considered that she doesn't want to talk about Jack is because that blew up in her face? Have you thought about that? You aren't seeing it. I keep saying it. Ex's don't work. Yours didn't work, and hers didn't work either."

Andy frowned, "Sharon is still married to Jack. He's not an ex."

"Idiot!" Provenza threw up his hands. The team watched, eyes wide, as they looked from one to the other. "Jack is gone. I guarantee it. I'm not getting into the captain's personal business, not all the little details, but I will say that much. Only an idiot would be blind to that anymore. He hasn't been lurking around here for weeks now."

Andy's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Wait, what? He's gone?"

"Talk to the captain, please," Provenza gave Andy a stern look. "We all need some normalcy around here. I can't believe I'm going to say it, but make things right with the captain. Patch up your friendship so we can get back to normal here at work."

Andy looked around the room, from person to person, and he saw the team nodding back at him. Andy stood, and he shook his head. Without saying a word, he collected his things, and he started for the door. The team waited until he was out of the office, but then finally Julio spoke.

"Sir, do you think he sees it yet?" Julio asked, as he tried to hide his smile.

"What, that those two idiots really want to chase after each other?" Provenza huffed.

"Oh, Andy," Mike shook his head, not that Andy was in the room. "He can be so bright, yet so clueless at the same time."

Provenza huffed again, "Mike, I'll deny it if anyone every claims I said it, but the captain is just as clueless. We work with two of the best detectives the LAPD has to offer, and yet, they can't see what is right in front of them."


	28. Chapter 28

"Hi," he said quietly to her as she walked up to him. She knew she had a confused look on her face. It was late, and he'd tracked her down. She quickly reached for her cell phone.

"Did I miss a call? Is there a case? Is something wrong?" she asked him, now starting to panic slightly. "Is Rusty okay? What happened?" Andy reached for her hand, and he touched it lightly.

"Sharon, there's no problem," he said quietly again, his voice much lower than normal. She looked up at him and shook her head, not sure what was going on, why Andy was standing in front of her. She knew she was covered in sand; she'd been walking for over an hour. Her feet were bare, except for the sand, and she hand her shoes in hand. Sharon had almost walked back to the car, but as she'd gotten closer to the beach walkway, she'd noticed Andy sitting there in the sand. He stood as she approached, and that is where they were now.

"Well, what are you doing here?" she cleared her voice and tilted her head toward him. He was standing near her, but not close, just close enough to reach her hand when he'd been trying to calm her.

He sighed and shook his head, "Can we talk?"

She pursed her lips and looked to him again, "Talk? Is everything okay? You came here, hoping to find me, so we could talk?"

"Yup," he rocked back on his heels. "That's about the gist of it. I went to the condo first, but you weren't there, obviously," he rolled his eyes. "I started to think about where you might go, about what you were doing, and I wasn't positive, but I thought you might have come here to the beach."

"Why didn't you just call or text me?" Sharon asked, still confused. "I always answer, especially if it's you."

He gave a slight shrug and looked to the ground. Sharon looked too and found him kicking at the sand. She was still looking down when he answered, "I just wanted to find you, to not give you time to think about it and act strangely."

"You came here to tell me I've been acting strangely?" she asked, now crossing her arms as she took a defensive stance.

"No, no!" he put up his hands in defense. "Look," he sighed, "that's not what I mean. Can we just talk?"

"We are talking. Andy, what's going on?" Sharon asked again.

"You're cold," he gestured to her where she was still standing with arms crossed, but he could see that she was starting to shiver. "Let's go sit in one of our cars, please."

"Fine," she gave a single nod. "What is going on tonight? You are the one acting strangely," Sharon sighed as walked next to him toward the parking lot. When they reached the pavement, Sharon stopped to shake off her feet and put on her sandals. She always kept a pair in her car for times just like this, when she stopped by the beach to walk and had on other shoes. Andy knew that about her, just as he knew which beach to check, even down to the exact parking spot she'd take if it was available. She, like he, was a creature of habit.

Andy walked next to her to his car, and he opened the door for her. He gestured for her to sit, and she eyed him carefully, "You're not going to turn out to be a serial killer, now are you?"

"No, really, though?" Andy rolled his eyes, "Please, just sit so we can talk without you freezing," he grumbled. She folded herself into the car, and Andy shut the door and walked around to the driver side. When he got into the car, he turned it on, mostly to have a little light and to provide some warmth. It was May, but the wind was blowing slightly creating a cool evening by the beach. Andy took a deep breath and turned toward Sharon. She was waiting with her green eyes, narrowed, wondering what was going on with him.

"Did something happen? I feel like something happened," she started to say, and she stopped when she saw Andy close his eyes and take a deep breath.

"What's going on with Jack?" he asked her, saying it quickly to just put it on the table. He wanted to just jump right into the conversation.

"Jack?" Sharon's eyes grew wide as she looked at Andy. "Why do you ask about Jack?"

"See!" Andy exclaimed right away, catching Sharon off guard before he continued, "there you go again, answering a question with a question. I was thinking about that on my drive over here. You keep avoiding the topic."

"I don't want to talk about Jack," Sharon told him.

"Well, we're going to talk about Jack, Sandra too," Andy explained to her. "We are too good of friends to keep avoiding the two, and that is what I can't figure out-why we are such good friends, but we can't talk about Jack and Sandra."

"Jack is not a topic we need to discuss," Sharon crossed her arms and leaned back toward the door.

"Fine! I'll go first," Andy told her. "This is not how I saw this playing out, but here we go. Sandra and I are done, AGAIN," he said slowly as he looked at her. "I was an idiot to think that jumping through hoops to change for her was a good idea. I had this idea that my drinking ruined everything about our marriage. It didn't. The drinking was a big part of it, but WE, she and I, ruined our marriage. It wasn't just one thing, and I have finally figured that out. We are not meant to be together. I had the idea of her, of being in love with her, in my head, and it's not right. No one should have to be that miserable to be happy, to feel loved. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders just since the party when we finally had it out that night."

Sharon looked at him, wide-eyed, as she listened to his revelation to her. She watched as he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes again. She continued to watch him, in silence, until he turned back toward her.

"Why didn't you tell me? I will always listen, but you didn't seem like you wanted to talk about her," she said quietly as she studied his physique. He looked almost defeated, and while he had told her a huge weight had been lifted, she still saw him as struggling with something.

"I look like a failure," he rolled his eyes as he answered her. "Plus, we, you and I, kind of had this agreement, both spoken and unspoken, we weren't going to talk about Sandra and Jack."

"So, you need to talk now?" Sharon asked, still trying to figure out what brought about Andy hunting her down to talk in his car.

"I know about Jack," he admitted, and her eyes grew wide as she listened to him. He shook his head at her, "Look, whatever you think I know, I only know that he's gone. You even said he had gotten his own place, and I may have stumbled into new information that tells me Jack is out of the picture. Please talk to me," he gave her a small, encouraging smile.

Sharon wiped her face, hoping to wipe away the stray tear that had formed. She clasped her hands and dropped her head to look at them. She couldn't look at Andy, not while she told him this. She took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, "Jack is gone, yes. I don't know where he is right now, and frankly, I don't care. I can't get in touch with him; I've tried. I'm sure he'll turn up at some point soon. My guess is that he's back in Vegas because his work said he's taken a leave to work on an out of state case. I don't know if that is true or not," she shrugged. She glanced up to find Andy turned sideways, facing her, his back to the door, as he listened to her. He was completely focused on her, and she continued, but only after she dropped her head again to stare at her hands. She cleared her throat as she spoke, "Jack cheated on me, again," she shook her head, trying to shake out the tears. "I'm the stupid one. I listened to you try and explain what an idiot you are for trying to fix what was broken in your marriage, but I'm really the dumb one. I still am married, and Jack has not changed. He puts on a good act, and I knew that; I know that, but I let him back into my life. I had a glimmer of hope that he'd finally changed, that he was the Jack I thought I knew, but he's not. I'm not sure if Jack was ever the good, devoted husband I dreamed about having, but he's not that now. Rusty and I came home from our trip to New York, and Rusty found Jack at the condo with another woman," Sharon said as she had trouble getting the words out. She cleared her throat again, and she took another breath before she continued, "I'd dropped off Rusty at the condo to go to work. We'd caught that case. Rusty found Jack and this, this girl," she gestured with her hands, "on the balcony. Jack didn't see Rusty, but Rusty took pictures of Jack. Rusty didn't know what to do, so he went to Provenza."

"Provenza," Andy sighed and shook his head. "He's been caught in all of this."

"Yes," Sharon nodded and continued, "Provenza is a good friend. He's been there for both of us. He is the one who told me about Jack. Provenza doesn't want to be in the middle of this, but he is. Please don't be upset with him; I asked him not to say anything about Jack. Jack is my problem, and I should have known he'd cheat again."

"I'll kill him, Jack, I mean," Andy said through gritted teeth. Sharon finally looked up and frowned at Andy.

"That is one of the reasons I didn't want to tell you. I can handle this myself, Andy. I don't need you stepping into my mess. I created it, and I can handle it," she told him.

"I know you can handle it, but you don't have to carry this burden alone. Look, I'm realizing that too. I was trying to hide this from the people who care about me the most. It was killing me. I know things are a mess, but do you have any idea how much better I feel having told you? You're my best friend. I have no doubt about that, and as my best friend, I need you to know everything about my life. I had hoped you felt the same."

"I do," Sharon reached across and squeezed his wrist. "I do," she met his gaze. "I've wanted to call you so many times, to tell you that Sandra wasn't good for you. I finally figured that out. It was bugging me for so long, but I didn't feel it was my place. With Jack, I just was embarrassed, even to tell you. I didn't want to get into it, and I certainly didn't want you running to my defense. I realize though, that I've kept too much bottled up, that I need to talk, and I should be able to talk to you."

"I wouldn't be running to your defense. I'd be running to your side, Sharon," he stated, and with that, the two were silent as they just looked at each other.

Sharon looked away, but she heard Andy as he repeated it again, "I'd be running to your side. That's what friends do. We are there for each other. I know you don't need to be rescued, but let me be there to listen. I sure want you by my side. You just said Provenza has been a good friend; he always is, but I still think of you as my best friend, the person I can tell anything, or should tell anything. That's where I messed this up. I didn't talk to you. I want you to want to run to my side when times are tough. Well, I've got news for you," he raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to look him in the eye before he continued, "times are tough for both of us. We've been caught in the 'what could have been' mode, and we need out of it. We both need to realize the past is the past. We can't change it. We can't recreate it, but we can only learn from it."

Sharon looked down again and nodded slightly. She could feel Andy staring at her, and she spoke, without looking up at him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jack. I knew you had your own problems, and I didn't you needed to hear about mine. I was embarrassed and also needed time to think. Yes, other than Provenza really just giving me the information, I haven't spoken to anyone. Looking at it, I do need to trust you, to talk to you. I'm sorry about that."

"I'm sorry, too," he sighed. "I hated the way Sandra treated you or spoke about you at the party. I was just trying to do something nice for her. She doesn't have a lot of friends and mentioned doing something with the three friends of hers I invited. I guess now I can see why she has so few friends. She demands so much of anyone close to her. I can never live up to her expectations. She constantly criticizes both Nicole and me. Nothing is ever good enough. No wonder she has a small friend pool. Nothing is ever what Sandra wants, and it's taken me this long to see that the alcohol was one part of our problems. I'm not making excuses; alcohol was part of the problem, but she and I were just a mess, still ar. I realized that I can never please her, and that she's only going to continue to challenge me to change, to do more, when more will never be enough."

Sharon pursed her lips again as she thought about what she wanted to say. She looked at Andy, finally, and blurted out, "Jack doesn't even like the beach."

He gave her an odd look, one filled with confusion, and she explained, "I should have realized things weren't clicking with us again when everything we tried to do as a couple, it was just not working. Remember when we ran into you and Sandra here at the beach?" she asked, not even giving him a moment to answer. "Jack complained the whole time, the whole time," she emphasized. "He hates the beach. He didn't want to walk with me, and he didn't want to be here at all. I should have realized we are just two different people who have been married way too long. What I wanted in him, it is gone or maybe was never there. He hates the beach," she repeated.

Sharon watched as Andy just listened. He didn't offer a response, but instead, he acted. He got out of the car, quickly, and Sharon started to say something, but he swiftly moved around to her door and opened it. "Come on," he gestured to her.

"Andy! What are you doing now? I thought we were talking," she sighed.

"Come on," he gestured to her again. "We're going to take a walk."

"I already took a walk," she told him from her seated position.

"Yeah, well, I haven't. Sandra hates the beach, and I've avoided it for awhile now. Driving here today, I just felt like it was right, coming to the beach. It wasn't until you said that about Jack that I realized it was the same with Sandra. She hates the beach, and we argued about it constantly. She almost ruined my love for the beach, for taking walks in the sand. Come on. I'd like to go for a walk with someone who appreciates the beach, with you, my best friend," he gave her a hopeful shrug.

Sharon smiled back at him, a genuine smile. Their relationships had almost ruined so much. She put her hand in his outstretched one and stood up. "Can we maybe get some dinner, Italian even, after we walk?" she asked as she continued to smile. "I'd really like to sit and talk more with my friend Andy."

"We can talk all night," he told her as he reached behind her seat for his jacket. He handed it to her, "We can discuss all night what idiots we were for not seeing the mess right in front of us, that our spouses weren't meant to be."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "you sound like Provenza."

"Well, the joke is going to be on Provenza. He's so convinced we could never get our friendship back on track. We'll show him," Andy winked. "I'm hoping we can become the best of friends again. Provenza," Andy chuckled, "that guy is a good friend, loyal and caring, even if he won't admit it. He'll see; we'll show him that we can be friends again, the best of friends."

"Yes," Sharon nodded as Andy closed the car door and the two started for the beach. "And," she added, "we will have to promise to be honest with each other," she explained. "I'm going to be honest with you if I see you get into an unhealthy relationship."

"Same with you," he eyed her and nodded.

She chuckled, "Oh, I won't be the problem. I have no plans to seek out a relationship."

Andy nodded, "I hear you on that, but when some guy tries to come along and sweep you off your feet," he grinned, "I'll let you know if he's worthy of you."

"I promise to do the same," she nodded. "Friends watch out for each other."

"What are friends for, right?" Andy chuckled.


	29. Chapter 29

"Andy's Revelation"

He was the last one to arrive at work, which surprised him. Usually, he was the second or third one to the office, but this morning, he'd gotten a late start, and traffic had been terrible. He'd overslept, which was annoying, but at the same time, it was the first decent sleep he'd had in a very long time.

His talk with Sharon had gone well, very well. They'd walked on the beach for over an hour, putting in the miles as they walked. After that, both had been hungry and had made their way to their favorite Italian restaurant where they had shared a huge plate of spaghetti with a side house salad. Things felt like they were getting back on track with their friendship. He and Sharon had discussed Jack and Sandra until they felt they had nothing more to say. That chapter was closing, and he felt like, for the first time in a long time, things were getting back to normal.

Andy glanced toward Sharon's office and noted she was deep in paperwork, her head bent over her desk as she was signing forms. He had hoped to make eye contact with her, but she didn't look up; she hadn't noticed he had arrived. Andy turned toward the team and found the opposite; they were all staring at each other.

"It's about time you got here," Provenza eyed him. "We were all beginning to wonder if you were coming to work."

"I hadn't noticed," Andy flashed him a smirk and held up his phone. "I sent you two, no three text messages about traffic and my morning." Provenza just rolled his eyes and gestured to Andy's desk.

"Just get to work. I take it your traffic issues mean that you were staying at your house?" Provenza asked. "Your commute is back to over an hour, I assume?"

Andy rolled his eyes, "Sandra won't be a problem. Promise."

"So?" Julio leaned forward on his desk and glanced around the room before he turned his attention on Andy. "The captain was the first one here this morning. We are all trying to figure out if that's good or bad. What happened?"

Andy now stood at his desk and turned on his computer. Before he sat, he turned to the room and found everyone staring at him. "With what?"

Provenza groaned and put his head in his hands. Amy shook her head, and surprisingly quiet Mike was the one who spoke, "Andy, what happened with the captain? Did you talk to her last night?"

"Or more," Julio grinned as he quietly said that. Andy flashed an irritated look at him before he turned back to Mike.

"Happened? Nothing," he shrugged. "I found her. We talked, and we're good. Sorry things have been tense here. We realized our friendship was suffering."

Provenza looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, "That's it?"

"Ahh, yeah, why?" Andy said as he sat. He took a glance toward Sharon's office and gave her a small smile and nod as he caught her eye. She smiled back at him. He heard some snickering and turned to find the team just looking at him.

"Why? You talked to the captain and are friends again?" Provenza asked, repeating almost what Andy had just said. "Are you 12? It sounds like you are middle school pals again."

"I don't see the problem," Andy gestured. "Look, yeah, like you said, the dirt bag, Jack, is gone. We talked about him. Thanks for the information. She was embarrassed to tell me. I told her that Sandra and I were not a good idea, and that's not going to happen."

"So, what you are saying, Sir," Julio looked to him, trying to keep a straight face, "is that the ex-wife is gone, her husband is almost an ex-husband, and you are both basically single. You're both single, and you're back to being friends."

"Yeah," Andy shrugged as he kicked back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He continued to look at the team as they now stared at him. "Why are you staring at me? It's like you are trying to telepathically send me messages," he chuckled. The team was silent; they continued to stare while Andy chuckled at his comment. He twisted slightly in his chair, taking in the whole team, well, everyone but Sharon who was back to work in her office. He looked around, and still, no one spoke. "Guys?"

"Are you seriously that much of an idiot? I didn't think you were this stupid, but maybe you are," Provenza scowled at him. Andy's expression changed as he turned and glared at Provenza.

He was about to yell at Provenza, but Amy got his attention. "Lieutenant," she cleared her throat, "have you ever thought that maybe there's more than friendship with the captain?"

Andy dropped his hands that were still behind his head and sat up more in his seat, "Wait, what?" He looked around at the room, trying to see what joke the team was playing on him now.

"Flynn! You can't be this clueless! You've been the single stud of the LAPD for decades! How can you be this clueless about everything? We have all seen it for awhile now, well before you tried to get back together with your horrible ex-wife. It was obvious when you stopped trying to pick up women all over town and started following the captain around the building that she was the one you wanted. No one likes to go to the morgue! You, though, jump at the chance as soon as she mentions it. You jump whenever she enters the room. You spend time with each other outside of work, which the thought, makes me sick to my stomach. Man up, Romeo! Your Juliet is right in front of your nose, and you can't even see it. I don't understand it; none of us do, but whatever," Provenza threw up his hands. He glanced toward Sharon's office where she was now on the phone, and he looked back to Andy and lowered his voice again, "You two need to figure ALL of your relationship out, and don't come in here and tell us you are besties again. We all know that, but we were hoping two DETECTIVES from the LAPD could figure out their real misery."

"You think I want to date Sharon?" Andy said quietly. He shook his head as he looked to the group. "No, we're friends, very good friends."

"Hmm, for a guy and a girl, that rarely ever stays just that," Amy shook her head and shrugged as she looked back at her paperwork.

"Andy, I've known you a long time. You've never had it this bad. Have you ever considered that your feelings for the captain were misplaced and possibly guided toward Sandra? Have you ever thought that maybe the expectations you had for a relationship with your ex-wife were really the things you saw in the captain, possibilities with her?" Mike asked. Andy scowled; the guy always sounded like a psychologist.

"There's no way," Andy shook his head and stood. He wanted to pace, but he knew that it would cause Sharon to probably come out and see what was going on with the team.

"Lieutenant," Buzz called his attention, and when Andy glanced at him, Buzz continued, "for what it's worth, we all think the captain feels the same."

Andy's eyes widened, and he looked around the room. Julio grinned and nodded, "Sir, think about it. You both tried again with your ex-spouses to find something. It didn't work, but you apparently patch up your friendship, and you're back here happy again."

Andy's jaw dropped open, and he sat back in his chair again. He could tell the whole team was still looking at him. Before he could speak, he heard the door open, and even before he could turn, he felt Sharon's presence as she walked right next to him.

"Lieutenant, I have been summoned to Chief Taylor's office for a meeting," she explained to him and the whole team. Andy still sat there, stunned, and he tried to look up at Sharon, but as he did, he felt himself getting lightheaded. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"Fine, Captain," Provenza nodded, and Sharon turned toward Andy before she walked away.

"Andy, are you okay?" she asked and put her hand on the back of his chair to check on him.

"Ahh, yeah, just a little warm, Sharon," he said quietly. He glanced to her and nodded, and he then gave her a smile before she could worry more.

"Okay," she looked to him oddly as she nodded, "just, if you aren't feeling well, please tell us."

"I'm good," he gave her a nod, and she stepped back and turned to the team.

"Wish me luck," she said in a teasing tone as she started out of the room. Andy let out a low chuckle, one Sharon didn't hear, as she left. That was her teasing tone, a tone she often didn't show at the office. He knew she must be in a good mood if she was in a teasing mood this morning. He almost got lost in thought, but then he felt the team staring at him again. He looked up and tried to hide his smile at thinking of Sharon. He schooled his features, but he felt like the team had caught him grinning.

He sat there in silence for a few seconds, partly to make sure Sharon was out of the room, and partly to try and pull together his thoughts.

"Guys, we aren't romantically involved," he said as they continued to look at him.

"Not yet," Julio added. "Sir, when is the last time you had a real relationship, one in which you cared for a woman and wanted to just be with her?"

Andy shook his head, skirting an answer. Buzz added another comment, "Lieutenant, you two do everything together, or you did before you both tried again with your spouses. Think about it."

"Andy," the room turned to Mike, "my wife makes me happy. At the end of a day, when I'm ready to throw in the towel, she just makes me happy. It's the little things. Sometimes, we just sit and stare at the tv together. Sometimes, we talk over dinner, and sometimes, we just go for a walk around our neighborhood. My guess is you haven't seen a genuine, healthy relationship to know that you, my friend, are in one, or should be in one."

Andy dropped his head as he tried to gather his thoughts. He stayed that way for a few moments, but then he snapped his head up to the group, "Is Sharon-" he stopped and tried to figure out what word to use next.

"As clueless as you?" Provenza gave him a scowl and a look before he nodded. "She is. She's even worse, if that's possible."

"See, it's not a relationship!" Andy gestured. "We're just best friends. We can work together and be best friends."

"I'd be the first to say I hope that's all it is, Flynn, but this isn't high school! You two have been walking around clueless for a long time. You tried again with your spouses, and shocking," he threw up his hands, "that didn't work because you both had idiots in your lives. You two, as much as it pains me to say it, seem to like each other. Figure it out because we," he gestured to the group, "figured it out long ago."

Andy stood, "I need to clear my head," he sighed. "I'll be back-I'm going for a walk."

"Just walk yourself down to your car, Flynn," Provenza told him. "Go home and figure it out. I'll tell the captain you weren't feeling well. I'd be the first to never advise you to jump from your ex to someone new because that never works out," he frowned, "but, really, this isn't the same. You really have been measuring what you have with the captain to anyone else, and until you figure THAT out, you will be miserable."

"I haven't done that!" Andy exclaimed.

"Not intentionally," Julio added, "but, that's what you have both done. Sir, sometimes you can't see what is right in front of you."

Provenza smirked at Andy, "For this, glasses won't help, but only your friends kicking you and telling you to wake up."

"I've got to get out of here," Andy sighed. "I thought we were good, that we were back on track."

"Lieutenant, dating someone from work doesn't have to ruin everything," Amy told him, and when she felt the team staring at her, she shrugged, "What? Oh, I'm just saying that, not like I have any personal experience."

Andy shook his head, "Just tell Sharon I wasn't feeling well and will call her later."

Julio glanced around and met Provenza's eye, "Sir, do any of us call her Sharon?"

"No, Julio, just the boyfriend. It's always the boyfriend," he added.

"I'm not the-!" Andy exclaimed and then closed his eyes. "I'm leaving."

His drive home felt like an eternity, and he wasn't sure how he'd go back to work in the morning. He wasn't sure what he'd say to Provenza, the team, or even worse, Sharon when he had to face any of them. For now, he needed to be alone. He'd had a rough few weeks with things falling apart with Sandra, his kids irritated because things had fallen apart, his rocky few weeks with Sharon, and now this. Here, he thought things were settling down and his friendship was back on track. In a matter of minutes, Provenza had blown that wide open and now had Andy panicking about his relationship status with Sharon. Provenza. He seemed to be the root of all problems.


	30. Chapter 30

"Hi, I brought you soup. Soup usually helps when you aren't feeling well,"she told him as she held up the bag. Sharon searched his eyes, almost trying to see through him, to see what was ailing him, and she stood there with a small smile and tilted her head at him.

"Hey, you didn't have to drive all the way out here," he looked to her bag of food. She was there, holding it as almost a peace offering. She just stood there with the bag in hand, and he added, "I'm not sure that is going to help."

She nodded, but she kept her eyes trained on his face, "Well, would you invite me in so I could at least leave it here for you?"

He let out a low chuckle and slightly shook his head, "Sure, I'm sorry. Apparently, I've forgotten all my manners too. Would you like to come inside, Sharon?"

"I'd like that after the long drive I had," she now looked to him with a big, maybe even a playful smile, and he moved out of the way so she could enter. He closed the door behind her, and he was a little surprised to see that she just walked ahead of him toward the kitchen. It wasn't that Sharon coulnd't do that; they'd made themselves at home at each other's homes plenty of times, but it had been awhile. He shook his head, realizing that he was still rooted in the same spot, and then he followed her to the kitchen.

He walked into the kitchen as she was unpacking the bag of food she'd brought with her. She glanced at Andy when he finally walked into her line of sight. "It's French Onion," she told him.

"That's my favorite," he said quietly. He continued to watch Sharon as she folded up the paper bag.

"I know," she turned toward him. She pursed her lips and eyed him. "Care to tell me about it?"

"About?"

"What had you leave sick from work," she enunciated the word sick, almost as she was challenging it. "At the front door, you also said you weren't sure soup was going to fix it. I've known you a long time, and I can't remember a time you willing left or stayed home from work. Even going back a few years to your stabbing, you worked when you should have been at home. We didn't even get along back then, yet you were there in front of me at work, trying not to wince in pain from your stabbing. Now, today," she gestured, "you were late, barely said anything to the team or me, and then you left while I was in a meeting. We promised to tell each other everything; however, you came home and haven't had contact with me all day. I know you well enough to know something is wrong. Would you like to talk about it?"

Andy closed his eyes and sighed. He ran his hand over his face, and when he opened his eyes, Sharon was still standing there looking at him. She didn't have an accusatory stance; instead, she was leaning against the counter and had her head titled toward him, a look of genuine concern. Andy just gave a small nod and turned toward the living room. He met her gaze and gestured.

Andy waved with his hand "Let's sit down, please?"

Sharon pushed off the counter, and she followed him. When they reached the living room, Andy gestured for her to sit first, and as she walked by him, he reached up and squeezed her shoulder. She turned as he did that, and he gave her an encouraging wink. She eyed him as she sat.

"I'm sitting," Sharon said, her tone a bit on edge, but also worried about Andy. She sat almost in the middle of his couch, and Andy had the option to sit in his recliner or close to her on the couch. He sat next to her, and as he did so, he reached for her hand, which was on her knee, and he clasped it in his. She briefly eyed it, but then she turned her attention to him.

"I've still got a lot on my mind from everything that has happened over the last several weeks really. I think a lot of it hit me today, and I don't really know how to put all of it into words," he said as he tried to look away.

Sharon gripped his hand, and when he looked up at her, she shook her head, "Okay," she said slowly as she nodded. "I'm trying to understand, though, why you left work today? I thought we had a good talk last night, a very productive talk, and we agreed to not shut each other out. I can't help but feel there is more to this. You know you can talk to me. I just am trying to understand why you felt the need to leave work, especially without saying anything to me. If you are ill, that's one thing, but I think there is more to it."

"I'm sorry I didn't clear it with you, leaving work," he grunted.

"Andy, this isn't just about you leaving. I'm not upset as your boss. Right now, I'm trying to be your friend, to understand what has happened. You seemed to be doing well last night. I was doing well!" Sharon exclaimed. "What happened between last night when we left the restaurant and then this morning at work?" Sharon frowned, trying to express her frustration, but afraid she'd just gotten irritated with Andy.

Andy put his other hand on top of hers, now sandwiching her hand between his. He cleared his throat, "Have you ever thought about us?" Sharon started to shake her head, the confusion evident, and Andy patted her hand with his on top of hers. "Just let me get this off my chest. Have you ever thought of us as maybe more? Have you thought about a future that included me, that include us romantically involved?"

Sharon was silent a moment, trying to let Andy finish speaking. When it appeared he was done talking and waiting for a reply, she used her free hand to wave in the air, "Ro-ro-romantic?" Her face was now flushed as she looked at him.

He smiled warmly at her as his gaze met hers, and he reached for her flailing hand, pulling it to her other hand. He now held both her hands in his, "I see you had the same reaction I had."

She shook her head, "I'm not following."

"Well," he said quietly as he drew out the word, "romantic, as in attracted to me, even kissing me and more," he winked at her as he glanced up from staring at their joined hands.

"Andy," she scowled, "I know what the word romantic means." Sharon tried to pull her hands away, but he gave them a playful squeeze and smiled at her when he caught her gaze.

"I know. I'm sorry," he corrected the situation. "I've had a few hours more than you to start processing this. I want to know if you have thought about us, you know, as a couple? I'm not expecting you to say it's been your fantasy, or that you've thought about it for any amount of time, but has it ever been a thought?"

"I'm, I'm not sure," she said, tripping over her words.

"Not sure?" Andy raised his eyebrows. "Sharon, you either have or you haven't. Honestly, I haven't known you to ever not have a definitive answer about something. am not asking you to analyze or act on it, but have you ever thought about it?" She let out a frustrated sigh as she looked at Andy. She looked down at their hands, and the silence continued until Andy broke it. "I guess to let you think a moment, I'll tell you what I have come to realize. I didn't realize until today that what I've always wanted might be right under my nose, that the person who could make me happy, who does make me happy," he corrected himself, "is the same person who, just a few years ago, felt like the biggest thorn in my side. I realized today finally that the person I thought made me happy, the person with whom I'd tried to build my life, turned out to be that thorn in my side. I was miserable with Sandra. It hit me hard today, probably sometime mid-afternoon, that I'm happiest when I'm with you. If that's all it ever is, I think I could be okay with that, but maybe, just maybe I'd be happier with even more."

With Andy's admission, Sharon pursed her lips and then let out a deep breath. She met his gaze, "I've spent over 30 years dealing with Jack. I'm getting up there in years, closer to retirement than anything else. My kids are grown, and even Rusty, he's been a surprise in my life, but he's grown now too. Over the last several weeks, I've resigned to the idea that someday here in the near future, I'm going to be a divorced Catholic. I've raised my family, I've had a good career, and that is my story. I've so enjoyed where our friendship has gone. Had someone told me five years ago that you would be the man I'd want by my side as my best friend, I would have laughed in their face," she giggled as she gave Andy a wide smile. "I've discovered what a warm, charming, and caring man you are. I suppose I find my life complete, even if it's not the story I would have written for it."

He nodded as he listened and waited for her to finish, and then he met her gaze, "You make it sound like your story ends right now, that your life is over today. You and I both have a lot left in us, and while I don't have all the answers, I want you to think about what could be, maybewhat might be an epilogue to your story," he smiled. "Now, does this have the potential to backfire on us? Possibly. Is it possible we will have absolutely no chemistry? Maybe," he shrugged and continued, "but, I know you and your mindset. You wouldn't get two-thirds of the way through a good book and put it away, not before you knew the end to that story. I'm not willing to end it now, at least not until we talk through this more. I think the next chapter, or epilogue, or whatever you want to call it, it might be a better ending than any writer could ever write."


	31. Chapter 31

"I hate boring books," Sharon admitted as she frowned at Andy. He tilted his head, trying to figure out what that really meant. The two were still on the couch, and Andy had given Sharon time to process everything. He'd been quiet now for a couple of minutes, which didn't seem like a long time, but it felt like an eternity in the silence of his home.

"Sorry?" Andy questioned and let out a frustrated sigh. "Wait, are you saying I'm boring? I'm the boring book? Is that it? I was suggesting our lives were like books, and that maybe we write the ending together, and you suggest that I'm boring?"

Sharon's eyes widened, and she began to panic, "No, no, no," she shook her head and raised her hands at him. In Andy's frustration, he'd starting gesturing with his hands. Sharon caught them in the air and gasped them again, pulling them down to her lap where they had previously been. She started shushing him, almost as a parent would shush a baby, and she bit her lip, waiting for Andy to calm down, before she continued speaking.

"Sorry," Andy sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.

Sharon gave him a single nod and continued, "I'm sorry. That didn't come out as I wanted it. You're not boring, not at all. I guess what I was trying to say is that if anyone is boring, it's me. I won't want you wasting your time on boring old me. You're right that you shouldn't end your story," Sharon gave him a soft smile and caressed his hand. "You're a good man, a very good man, and you should be happy. You've been divorced for years and have worked hard to rebuild your family, even if it is a bit of a mess right now. I'm the boring book, not you," she shook her head slightly, her eyes searching his as she tried to explain. "Go and find some excitement in your life."

Andy squeezed her hand as she tried to pull them away. She was trying to pull away, hide from him, and he knew her well enough that he had to keep her focused, "I like boring," he said, and then he rolled his eyes and continued, "I mean, I like you. I liked you a lot, Sharon, and it wasn't until it really hit me today that what I feel for you might be more than just a friendship."

Sharon's eyes widened, and she shook her head back at him, "I'm broken; I'm a lousy wife, and I'm not the person you think I am. I'm just not meant to be in a healthy relationship, to really focus on myself. I've got my job and my kids. That's enough."

"Says who?" Andy tilted his head at her. "You are trying to come up with excuses, and none of them are good ones. You deserve to be happy, maybe more than anyone I can think of right now. You've had decades of unhappiness. Sure," he shrugged, "you've been happy with the kids and even some with your job, but your personal life, your romantic life, it hasn't been happy for a long time. Am I right?" Andy asked as he bent his head slightly to catch her gaze. She met his and closed her eyes.

"Andy," she said quietly and shook her head as she turned away from him. "I think we should stay friends."

"Why?" Andy shrugged. "Tell me why. See, I think you are scared and are running, but if you can give me a good reason, a valid reason, I'll drop this."

"I'm still married to Jack," she pointed out to him. "That's problem enough, believe me."

"I don't care, and you even said you are going to eventually be a divorced Catholic. I'm okay with that, and that's not a valid reason right now. Jack has been out of your heart for a long time. You're just ready to finally deal with it now. As far as the other part of that point, hello," he took his free hand and pointed to himself, "divorced Catholic. I don't judge."

Sharon closed her eyes and shook her head, "It's not just that. Being divorced is just saying I'm such a failure. I'm not even sure what to do when I'm divorced. I've never been divorced," she shrugged. "I've barely been single as an adult. You suggesting that we might have a romantic relationship, well, she sighed and continued, "that makes you the rebound guy. I can't be a divorced Catholic at my age accused of latching onto another man, the rebound guy."

"The rebound guy?" Andy chuckled, breaking the tension for the first time since the two had sat down on his couch. "Sharon, I promise you, I'm not the rebound guy. The way I see it, we have similar situations, and you can call it what you want. I'm no more the rebound guy than you are the rebound girl," he winked. "We are mature adults, and trust me when I say, our connection, our deep friendship and concern for each other is not some rebound thing. I care deeply for you, more than I realized, and I think it could be more. I think we could be great; we are great," he clarified. "I think we could really develop more. We've been deepening our friendship for a long time, and the way I see it, it can only get better. We can really be something together."

"Andy, what about-" Sharon paused when she met Andy's eyes, and he frowned at her.

"You know you can come up with excuses all day, all evening here," he gestured. "It's sweet, actually," he winked at her.

Sharon scowled and swatted at him, "This is absurd! We're friends."

"Why is it absurd? What's so absurd, hmm?" Andy leaned in closer and eyed her.

She rolled her eyes, "This," she gestured and continued, "us."

"Why? Are you attracted to me, even just a little?" Andy asked softly. He continued to watch her face, and she looked away and shook her head.

"I don't even know what that means," he explained. "That's not relevant. We're friends."

Andy started to laugh, and that got Sharon looking at him, now almost horrified. Her mouth dropped open as she watched him. He continued to laugh, and he shook his head at her. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you."

"Yes, you are," Sharon scoffed. "You're laughing at me."

"I'm laughing at the absurdity of all this," he admitted. "See, now that I really look at this, it's laughable. We're so attracted to each other, we can barely stand it. We missed it all these months. We're detectives, great ones at that, and we missed it. That's what is so funny. We've been best friends for months, really longer than that, and we missed that we were developing more. We didn't even realize it and tried to re-establish relationships with Sandra and Jack. All of that was misguided. Really, that affection, all of this," he gestured between them, "is for each other."

Sharon pursed her lips, "I don't think that's the case at all."

"Really?" Andy turned to her, almost challenging her with his voice. "What would you say it is then?"

"I'd say you are horrible for now laughing at me," Sharon scolded him. "This isn't funny."

"I'm sorry," he squeezed her hand and ran his other hand over hers. "I will tell you what this is," he told her and waited for her to glance at him. "This is you, avoiding the question."

"What question?" Sharon asked.

"You know," he nodded. "I asked if you were attracted to me, and your response was that you didn't know what that meant. You do know, and you are attracted to me."

Sharon pulled her hand from his and started to gesture with it, "What does that even matter? What does all this matter? I'm old. You're old," she informed him and frowned. "This is it for us. We're old detectives who will retire in a few years. We have kids, and we have lived our lives."

"You keep avoiding the question," he said as he put his hand on her knee to get her to stop gesturing and look at him. "I guess you did admit that you are attracted to me because you said something about it doesn't matter. It does matter. Sharon, you matter," he smiled softly at her. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. You matter. You matter to me, and I don't care if we have five minutes, five years, or another what, forty years, but I'd like to spend more of it with my best friend and not waste that time messing up more of my life, of your life."

Sharon let out a small half sob and covered her mouth. She shook her head, "This couldn't work. We have kids, the team, and-" she stopped when Andy patted her knee.

"Hey," he got her attention, and she glanced at him quickly and then looked down at her knees where he had his hand on hers, "You can come up with excuse after excuse. Your kids, my kids, the team," he shrugged and continued, "none of it matters. Well, it matters, but it's not an issue. Your kids will be fine. My kids will be fine, and the team is fine."

"The team is fine?" Sharon questioned him.

He nodded, "They helped provide the clarity I needed today. Sharon, they've seen it for a long time. They've seen what we've been to blind to see. I'm going to ask you again because you have to be honest with me about this. If there's absolutely nothing there, I'll step back," he admitted and raised his hands in surrender. "I promise, but if there's a chance, I think we need to talk about writing that non-boring book," he grinned. "So, are you attracted to me?

Sharon started to speak, and then she frowned. She looked to the floor, and then to the ceiling. She was avoiding him, and both knew it. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked toward him, even if she couldn't look at him, "You are a very attractive man, Andy. Anyone can see that. You just have a way about you. Years ago, I thought you were just another arrogant cop. I was wrong," she nodded. "You're a caring man, a devoted friend, and so much more. You're honest and dependable. You're willing to do almost anything to make amends with your family and friends. You're a wonderful person," she told him.

He nodded as she spoke, and then he waited until he made eye contact with her before he spoke, "You're all those things and more. You're the most amazing person I've ever known. I could go on and on about all your wonderful qualities. I'm happy to do that-just name a day and time. Right now, though, I want you to know you are so beautiful, inside and out. You are a knock-out, and before you go on and on again about being old, well, I don't want to hear it. I really think we could have more, we could be great together. We already are," he admitted. "We're great friends. We talk about everything. We know so much about each other, and I would like to explore more."

Sharon had been looking down as she listened. She looked up at Andy, tears, in her eyes, and she shook her head as she tried to hold them back. "I don't know anymore," she shrugged. "I've tried to control so much in my life, and it's still a mess. I don't know. I don't know what to trust. I feel like my heart is telling me one thing, and my head is telling me another. I don't know what to do. For once in my life, I don't know what I should do."

Andy took her hands in his and nodded. He sighed, and he ran his thumb over her knuckles. He spoke quietly, "There's no rush, and I am not going to continue to pressure you. That's the last thing I want to do. I just want you to consider the possibility, of me, of us," he smiled at her. "I know you well enough to say that you've always trusted your head. You're smart, and you've always done what your head tells you to do. It's what you think is right, and that's not a fault at all. For once, though, I believe you think your heart and head are in conflict. I don't think they are; I think you just want to keep things simple. I think for once in your life, you should trust your heart. You've admitted you have made a lot of bad decisions, and for once, Sharon," he waited until she looked at him, "think about and consider what your heart might want."


	32. Chapter 32

It was taking all his willpower to stay focused on his computer screen and not turn toward the doorway where Sharon was standing talking to Sykes. It was early morning, and the team was assembled for another day at work. He couldn't look at her, not now, and yet, while he couldn't turn and look at her, he could feel some of the team looking at him. He didn't want to talk to any of them. It wasn't up for discussion, his personal life to be exact, and he knew if he looked at Sharon, he would give himself away, something he wasn't ready to do.

Andy continued to work; he typed away at his computer screen all while listening to the conversation in the room. Sykes was checking in with Sharon before heading off to court. She had to testify in a case that had been pending for years now, from her time before joining Major Crimes. Andy heard Sharon give Amy some advice on being concise on the stand, and after a few more comments back and forth, Amy left for the day. Andy then heard Sharon turn her attention to Provenza. The team had to complete several mandated department modules, courtesy of Human Resources, and the two were planning out when and where the team would gather for that later in the day. He listened to all that while focusing on his screen, or at least he tried to appear as if he was focusing on his screen. He knew Julio was looking at him; he could feel the guy staring at him. All he wanted to do was to turn and give him a look, but he knew Julio well enough, all of them really, that they would see right through him. They already had, and he couldn't afford to give away anything else.

"Flynn, would you answer?" Provenza called out to him. Andy almost jumped, realizing that he hadn't heard Provenza ask him a question. Andy held up his hand, as to indicate he needed a moment while he typed two more words, and then he swiveled just slightly in his chair so he could glance at Provenza. It was just enough to eye the guy, but it still kept Sharon out of his line of sight.

"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to work here," Andy smirked at him and gestured to his computer. "What can I do for you today, Provenza?"

"We are trying to take care of this HR garbage this afternoon. Sykes should be back from court by lunch, so would you have any objection to sitting through the online presentation at 2:00?" Provenza asked him and frowned at Andy for not paying attention to him the first time the question had been asked.

"By all means," Andy gave a wave of his hand and nodded, "go ahead and schedule it. I'll be there."

"Excellent," Sharon said, and Andy tried not to snap his head in her direction. He continued to just look toward Provenza, still out of her line of sight. "We will meet in the conference room at 2:00 and see if we can knock out two or three of the modules we have to complete. Let's make sure we are all there on time to get this done as quickly as possible."

Andy saw most start to nod, so he did the same. Provenza looked at him with narrowed eyes, and he just gave a small shrug and turned back to his computer. His only indication Sharon was moving at all was the click of her heels on the floor. As she got closer to his desk, he smelled her, that lovely perfume of hers, and to keep things running like normal, he paused his typing and threw up his hand in a wave to her as she opened her door.

"Morning, Andy," she said quietly in her sweet, soft voice.

"Morning, Sharon," he replied and resumed his work. He heard her let out a small sigh as she walked into her office and shut her door. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her movement as she moved around her desk. He continued to type, stealing glances at her, and finally, a few moments later after he'd watched her put her purse away, he caught her eyeing him. He smiled softly and turned, ever so slightly, where he gave her a quick wink. She smiled in return and turned her attention to her work. He'd never been so glad to have a desk away from the team and closer to hers. He tried to steal another quick glance, hoping she was doing the same, but he found her focused at her desk already. With the moment gone, he turned back to his computer screen. He didn't get very far, as just a few moments later, Julio cleared his throat, trying to get Andy's attention.

"Well?" Julio called to him from his seat. Andy tried to ignore it, but then he heard Provenza clear his throat, a move all of them did often in the office. Knowing that he couldn't avoid the situation, he swiveled in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Yeah?" Andy frowned at them.

"Come on, Sir," Julio gestured and glanced toward Sharon's office as he did so. "What happened? Did you two figure out things?"

"Guys," Andy chuckled, "what is this? Is It the grand inquisition? Didn't we just do this?"

"And yet, we still have no resolution. How was your time at home yesterday? Any grand realizations?" Provenza rolled his eyes.

"It was good for me to sort some things out, you know," he gestured with his hand. "I'm still figuring things out, though, still."

"What does that mean, Lieutenant?" Julio smiled. "Are you figuring things out with the captain?"

"Lieutenant, we see the way she looks at you," Buzz offered a small smile.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired of talking about Sharon at work. Can we just drop it, please? Look, things just need to settle. The work environment, it's not tense, I'm here doing my job, and my personal life is going to stay out of work."

The room was silent for a few moments as the team stared at him. Andy was biting his tongue too, holding back from them because what he really wanted to do was come clean about everything. He couldn't because he'd promised Sharon he wouldn't, that what they'd discussed would stay between them, at least for now. It wasn't that he wanted to go into detail, to tell them that the two had talked for a couple hours, that he'd pulled her close when she'd finally crumbled and started crying, that they'd made some decisions, and that sitting there at work this morning had been one of the hardest things he'd done in a long time.

Instead, he waved at the silent group, all of whom were waiting for him to say more, and he turned back to his computer. "Guys, really, just please let it be. It's been a long enough few months." He could tell the team glanced at each other, but he was grateful they decided to drop it, at least for now. Sure, they had fun poking at each other, but they had worked long enough together to know when to stop pushing. The team knew Andy needed some space.

Thankfully, they gave him space during the day, but he could tell Provenza wanted to pull him away to talk. Provenza, though, being the good friend Andy knew he was, left him alone, again, seeming to understand he needed to be alone and when ready, would talk with Provenza. The day continued, and for once, it was uneventful. The team completed three of their modules for Human Resources, and that took up most of the afternoon. That had gone smoothly, and the team had assembled in the conference room off Sharon's office for that. Because it was in a video format, the group really just had to sit and listen. Andy had been one of the last into the room, and he hadn't had much of a choice in seats. He took the head of the table, away from the door, and that landed him next to Buzz. The team mainly sat along one side of the table, with the tv across from them. Sharon was the last in the room, and she ended up with the seat at the other end of the table, next to Amy, and that put the two facing each other. Andy tried not to glance her way, just as he noted she was doing the same. Not much was said during the team's training session, and when it was finished, the team returned to their desks. As the day ended, Provenza called to Andy again.

"Flynn, ready to get out of her, go for a drink?" Provenza asked.

"Lieutenant, he doesn't drink!" Buzz chastised Provenza. Provenza glanced at Andy and rolled his eyes, both Andy and Provenza well aware of that fact.

"They should make you a detective with all that information, Buzz," Provenza grumbled. "Of course, I know he doesn't drink! That's just what I say. Flynn knows," he gestured to Andy. Andy nodded in agreement.

"I'm good, Provenza. Not tonight, but maybe this weekend," he offered in what was more of a statement than a possibility. Provenza eyed Andy for just a moment and then nodded. He pointed to Andy.

"I'm holding you to that, Flynn," he continued to nod. "Your place, game, pizza, and beer," he said, drawing out the word beer as he looked at Buzz. Buzz just frowned and shook his head.

"I'll even order you double pepperoni," Andy flashed a quick grin at Provenza as he started to turn off his computer. The room paused when Sharon opened her door to leave.

"Gentlemen and Amy," she turned to them with a small smile, her keys dangling in one hand. "I am going to get out of here at a decent hour tonight. I suggest you all do the same since we are not on a case. I know that I, for one, am worn out," she sighed. "Have a good night, everyone," she nodded once and started to the door.

Provenza didn't even wait for her to be out of sight before he stood and gestured with his hands, "You heard her. Get going."

Andy stood, and like the others, he began gathering his things ready to leave. One by one, the team left for the evening, leaving only Andy and Provenza to walk out together. Provenza eyed Andy as the two, without suggesting to the other, started to the door.

"Sure you don't want to go get something to eat?" Provenza asked Andy as they stood at the elevator.

"Yeah, positive," Andy replied, looking to the floor. He rocked back on his heels, and the two stood there waiting.

"Are you figuring this mess out finally?" Provenza asked as he glanced to Andy once the two were on the elevator.

"Starting to do that, yeah," Andy sighed. Provenza nodded, and once again, they stood in silence. Once the elevator arrived at the parking garage floor, Andy gestured for Provenza to get off it first. He did, and the two men started toward their cars.

"Just don't start drinking or anything," Provenza huffed at Andy as the two arrived at Andy's car first. His car was across from Provenza's, but the two had migrated toward it from the elevator.

"I won't," Andy nodded. "Just don't go and sit in a bar all night. Pizza at my place this weekend," Andy gave him a small nod.

"Well, night then," Provenza told him. Andy gave him a small smile and climbed into his car. A few minutes later, Andy glanced back and wasn't surprised to see Provenza following him out of the parking garage. When he reached the street level, he pulled out onto the street, as did Provenza, and then, he made no secret about turning right instead of his normal left. Provenza pulled up in the lane next to him, and Andy looked over and just gave a small nod. Provenza returned it, a small smile even on his face.

An hour later, after making a quick stop and navigating city traffic, Andy stood waiting for the door to open. It did, and for the first time that day, he smiled brightly, "Told ya we could get through a whole day without flirting and staring at each other."

Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes as she put her hand on her hip, "Your solution is to just ignore me every single day? That's how you claim we could possibly handle a relationship in the future?"

"Well, I said we could get through a day without constantly smiling at each other, joking, and flirting. We did that," he shrugged. "I didn't say it would be pretty. Now," he held up the bag of Chinese, "are you going to let me come in so we can continue talking, or do I need to take all this food and catch up with Provenza to eat it? It's Chinese, just as last night you so discreetly requested I bring tonight."

Sharon chuckled and nodded, "You may come inside for dinner. Rusty called and is on his way home, but we probably have an hour or so before he gets here. Maybe we can continue our discussion from last night. I promise I won't cry."

"You can cry on me anytime," he admitted as Sharon stepped out of the way for him to walk into the condo. "Tonight, I'm hoping to discuss my boss," Andy shook his head as he caught Sharon smiling at him. She closed the door and turned back to him, grinning.

"Your boss, you say?" Sharon asked.

He nodded, "Yup, she's killing me at work most days. It's not even the workload, but just her everything," he gestured. "I'd like to discuss her. She just has this look, this way about her, and it's killing me."

"I see," Sharon crossed her arms and looked down at the floor as she followed Andy to the table. "So, it's not the workload that is a problem or the personality?"

"No, not the workload and definitely not the personality," he shook his head and met her gaze. He winked, "In fact, this boss, hmm, I guess the best way to describe it is that because of this boss, I barely get any work done, and that's what I need to discuss."

"That's not productive," she held back a smile as she leaned against the chair. Andy was standing at the counter now with the bag of food.

He shrugged, "Depends on perspective. I might not have been productive at work, but I know I was productive in other areas of my life. Take last night as an example-productive talk."

"Hmm, that's good," she agreed. "Let's sit and discuss how you can be productive at work and at home. This is the whole mixing work and home life that I'm, I mean your boss, is worried about you balancing."

"I've got all night," he smiled.

"I don't," she smiled back at him. "I'm quite tired from talking most of last night."

"Well," he gestured to the table and continued, "let's get you fed while we talk. We can do that. It's normal, and whether we are friends or even in the future, maybe more, we can still eat and talk. When Rusty comes home, we can both sit and talk to him."

"Okay," Sharon nodded and moved so Andy could pull her chair out for her. She sat, and he moved around to sit across from her. "I'd like to discuss something too."

"What's that?" Andy looked at her, his eyes scanning her. "We can talk about anything. I told you that last night that as we figure out all this, as we try and decide what we want, you can tell me anything."

"Good," she held back a smile, but then looked up and met his gaze, "because I would like to discuss my very frustrating day at work. My favorite lieutenant barely said a word to me, and I didn't like that."

Andy started to laugh, and then he winked at Sharon, "Sounds like this a crazy day."

"Hmm, the last two days have been crazy for me, eye-opening, even," she nodded.

"One day at a time," he met her gaze and winked. "Let's take one day at a time. Now, tell me what was going through your mind all day after our long talk last night."


	33. Chapter 33

"I'm home," they both heard, and Andy sat back slightly in his chair, but he kept his eye on Sharon. She wiped her face, hoping Rusty wouldn't notice she'd been crying again. He walked around the corner into the kitchen view, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Sharon, is something wrong? What's wrong?" Rusty asked as he looked from Sharon to Andy. He couldn't even see that Sharon had been crying, but the two were seated next to each other at the dining room table. Andy was turned sideways, facing Sharon, and he had his arm on the back of her chair. His other was now resting on the table, as it had just been holding Sharon's hand. Sharon wiped her face with her finger, and Andy looked around for her tissue. He found it on the floor, where it had fallen, and he reached for it and handed it back to her.

"Rusty, nothing is wrong," Sharon said, and she wiped her face and started to turn toward him. Andy stayed where he was and glanced to him too.

"Hey, Kid," he smiled, "nice to see you."

"Lieutenant, I haven't seen you here in awhile," Rusty nodded. "Sharon, things don't look okay. What's wrong?" He moved to the table to sit down at the head of it. Sharon and Andy were now eyeing each other, trying to handle the situation. Rusty was early, which was fine, but they were in the middle of their talk.

"Rusty, I'm fine, really," Sharon nodded and smiled softly at him. She used her free hand to reach across and squeeze his arm, which was resting on the table. "Andy and I are just talking through several things. It's been nice to talk. We both need it," she gave Andy a glance as she said that. Rusty nodded, trying to understand everything.

"Sharon is right," Andy told him and continued, "however, we both said that when you got home, we'd like to talk with you for a few minutes. So, how are things going?"

"Ahh, fine, good," Rusty told him, as he eyed both Andy and then Sharon. He turned toward Sharon, who wiped her nose for one last time. "Sharon, are you sure you're okay? You've been crying."

"Really, I'm fine," she let out a nervous laugh. "Happy tears, I promise. We just both needed to talk, and even though I'm a tough police captain, I sometime cry. Andy is a good listener."

"You're sure?" Rusty asked, as he looked to Andy for confirmation.

"Kid, she's right," he nodded. "You know when you sometimes just need to get things out in the open. We've just been talking. I think Sharon is finally realizing she deserves to be happy."

"Well, yeah," Rusty shrugged. "Sharon, I've told you that too. Jack's a jerk, and you don't deserve to be stuck with him. I guess I get it, talking to friends. I talk to Buzz sometimes."

Sharon nodded, "Thank you, Rusty. As you know, I agree with you, and I know Buzz is a good friend to you," she smiled. Rusty returned the smile, and he stood.

"Anything to eat? I'm starving," he said as he moved toward the refrigerator.

"I brought Chinese, but we already ate," Andy told him. "I'm going to use the restroom and let you two have a moment" he knocked his knuckles on the table as he stood. He squeezed Sharon's shoulder while Rusty had his head stuck in the refrigerator and started down the hall.

"Chinese? Cool," Rusty called to him. "Ahh, thanks, Lieutenant." With Andy gone, Sharon cleared her throat and looked to Rusty. She knew he was worried.

"Rusty, I hope you don't mind that Andy came over with dinner. He and I have a lot to discuss, and we are trying to get our lives back on track, both of us, whatever that means. Now, tell me about your day."

"I'm just glad you aren't crying, like for real, but I still don't get how you can cry and be happy at the same time," he rolled his eyes. "My day was pretty good. I'm so glad school is ending for the year."

"Hmm, yes, but don't forget that summer school starts right after school ends," she smiled at him while he prepared his plate of food. He put it in the microwave and turned back to her.

"Yeah, but that's going to be it, my last summer school and school will be done for good. Finished," he smiled.

"Until college," she nodded at him.

"Sharon, I told you I don't want to go to a big college right now. Why can't I just work?" Rusty frowned at her, and the two sat there looking at each other. It wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion.

"Sharon, did you do some redecorating?" Andy asked as he rounded the corner, rubbing his hands together. He eyed the situation, Sharon and Rusty almost staring at each other. He gave her a glance, but she didn't look to him. "Sorry, I interrupted something."

"No," Sharon smiled to him and gave a single nod of the head to the table, indicating she wanted him to sit, "Rusty and I are just continuing an ongoing discussion we have about him working after high school. I believe he should go to college."

"Ahh, I see," he nodded as he sat and looked to Rusty who was now facing the microwave waiting for his meal to finish heating. "Kid, you've got a pretty good gig here. Sharon has been great for you and let me tell you that if she's offering to help you with college, you might want to consider it."

"I just want to do my own thing for one, you know, like to earn some of my own money. I'm not saying no to college, just that I want to be independent," he frowned.

"I get that, Kid," Andy nodded. Sharon turned and gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes at her, realizing that he was walking on thin ice, playing almost into the "good cop/bad cop" role without meaning to do so.

"Anyway," Rusty shrugged as he walked to the table to sit and frowned at Andy, "sorry, but you were saying something."

Sharon turned to Andy, and both were waiting for him to speak, "Umm, what was I saying? Oh," he looked to Sharon, "did you redecorate?"

"Redecorate?" Sharon tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"Your room," he nodded down the hall. "It looked different when I walked by it. I know I haven't been here for awhile and vaguely remember it having blues in it from the few times I've walked by to use the restroom, but it looks different."

Rusty groaned, and Sharon frowned at him as she turned back to Andy. She offered a small roll of her eyes at him, "That would be from the Jack era, and yes, I've redecorated. Fresh start, complete with new bedding."

"You did more than that, Sharon," Rusty said as he chewed a bite. "You hauled out your bed."

Andy's eyebrow rose, and he looked at Sharon. She gave him a small shrug, and Andy returned it with a single nod. The three continued to sit and chat while Rusty finished eating. He stood to clear his plate when done, and he addressed the two.

"I'm going to crash in my room, unless you want me to sit here and talk," he looked to Sharon.

"No, Rusty, go and relax. We'll be fine out here. We might even sit on the balcony. It's turning out to be a lovely evening," she said as she looked outside. It was dark, but the air was warm, as they were almost in summer.

"Okay, well then, night Sharon," he smiled at her, and she reached up to squeeze his arm. "Nice to see you, Lieutenant. Night."

"Night, Rusty," Andy nodded. "Don't be a stranger now that your school load is lessening. I haven't seen you around work much the last few weeks."

"Yeah, school has been crazy, but it's getting better now, and hopefully, if I get a job, I'll be out of your hair even more," he grinned.

"Rusty," Sharon sighed loudly, "you are not in my hair. The team is used to see you there after school. You don't need a job to stay out of my hair."

"Yeah, well, as you like to say, we can talk about it later," Rusty grinned. "I'll be in my room." He offered a small wave as he disappeared down the hall. Sharon scoffed, but she smiled and turned to Andy when he reached for her hand.

"Hey," he winked. "Are you all cried out, or should we take these tissues with us on the balcony?"

She rolled her eyes, almost in embarrassment, "I think I'm all cried out. I'm sorry, and I hate Rusty had to see that."

"Oh, because that scarred him for life?" Andy smirked. "Sharon, it's good to show emotion. Rusty loves you, and yeah, while he was concerned about you, he needs to see normal emotions."

"What is so normal about my emotional breakdown?" she sighed.

He squeezed her hand, so she would look at him, "You aren't having an emotional breakdown. You've had a lot going on; we both have had a lot going on. I think we are finally digging out from that, you and me. Rusty has had his share of issues too. The three of us here," he gestured, "all riding an emotional roller coaster. What do you say that we try to get rid of the bumps?" Andy offered her his hand, and she looked at it. She took it, and the two stood to walk outside. They were quiet as they moved through the condo, and Andy opened the sliding door for her. She moved ahead of him, still not breaking contact with his hand, and the two stepped toward the railing.

It was silent while they stood there, hand in hand, and they watched the city. Noises could be heard all around them from the street below. "Can I tell you something?" Andy turned slightly and leaned up against the railing as he turned to her.

"Anything," she gave him a small smile and nodded with encouragement. "I hope you won't hide anything."

"I hope so too, I mean, I hope neither of us will hide anything. I'm really glad you cried last night, like an all-out good cry. I hated seeing it," he said softly, "but, I was glad to be there to listen to you. I could almost feel the relief as you spoke."

She hummed, "Yes, well, I don't think I'd really flushed out how much anger and sadness I had from Jack. I didn't want to get into personal details about our relationship-" she trailed off.

"You didn't," he shook his head. "I don't need to know the nitty gritty details, but I do want to know anything on your mind. You voiced a lot of that, your betrayal, your hurt, your inability to trust, your guarded nature, just all of it. Thank you for that."

She looked down and nodded again, "It felt good to get that all out, to tell you some of what I was thinking and feeling. I didn't set out to do all that, but I can tell it helped. I hope that as we talk about our friendship and even down the road, anything more, you understand that my hesitation isn't with you, but with the idea of a normal relationship."

"I got that," Andy shifted and crossed his feet in front of him, "I feel like I screw up anything I touch or do," he shrugged. "Case in point-any evening spent with Provenza usually results in a call to you for a work-related incident," he shrugged as if he was surprised. Sharon started to laugh. "I've never been good with relationships, with women, honestly. Yeah, yeah," he waved it off, "I know that I come across as the ladies' man, but that's not the kind of thing I am talking about now. I've never been good at having a real relationship with a woman, and you," he met her gaze, "are not just any woman. You're my boss, for one, which I can handle," he winked. "You're also the most amazing person I know, and I was almost too blind to see it. I guess I knew that, but I was stuck on you being out of reach, of just being my friend, but I am not sure that's good enough. I think that I'm willing to try again, to prove once and for all, that I can get a relationship right."

Sharon let out a long breath, "I'm not sure I can jump into that. I don't know that I want to even do that."

"That's why I'm not asking. What we have here," he gestured between the two of them, "it was working well before we got our exes involved again. We've got some damage to correct, things to get back on track. I still want my best friend back, and we work on that and go from there. You have to untangle yourself from Jack. I'm still dealing with fallout from Sandra with the kids. Let's just keep plugging away at this. No rush. No strings. I'll be a perfect gentleman," he gestured toward the ground with his free hand.

Sharon looked to the ground and after a few moments, she reached for Andy's other hand, now clasping both in hers. She shook them and looked up at him. "I really need you to be my best friend. I want to be yours, and let's just proceed as you said, rebuilding what we had and then see where that goes." Andy smiled warmly at her, and he nodded. They'd talked about many similar topics the night before, some heavier than others. Sharon had spent a great deal of time expressing her concerns about work, about working with Andy if things ever went further than friendship. He'd joked with her that he could totally handle a day without flirting with her, and that had resulted in the almost cold shoulder he'd given her at work today. The two seemed to have realized that they needed each other in their lives, and while their future, even as a couple, was uncertain, they wanted to be there for each other, whatever that entailed.

"I'd like nothing more than to get back to what was our normal," he leaned toward her and spoke softly. "I can't tell you how much I miss going to dinner with you, taking those long walks on the beach with you, talking to you on the phone late at night, sitting through one of Rusty's utterly boring chess matches," he grinned at Sharon, and she grinned back before he continued, "and, even though you are extremely competitive and yell at the tv, I miss watching sports with you. Thankfully, football is over, and we can watch the real sport, baseball."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Baseball, hmm?"

"That's right," he winked, still leaning close to Sharon. "Baseball. I'll take that any day over your football stuff, but for the record," he held up a finger, "I'm your guy for that too. I'll come watch with you every weekend, just as long as I can be the one to watch with you. I've really missed you, and yes, I'm the idiot who didn't realize what was missing in my own life."

"Right back at you," Sharon teased as she leaned closer to him. "I do have one more thing right now to ask, well," she fidgeted and continued, "I'm not sure if ask is the right word."

Andy chuckled, "Sharon, you can ask me anything. What is it?"

Sharon grasped his hands firmly and leaned up to him. She kissed him lightly and quickly, happening in one quick motion. It almost took Andy by surprise, and as Sharon started to pull back, he released her hand and pulled her toward him. Sharon finally pulled back. "I'm sorry if-" she started to say. Andy shook his head, and she nodded. "As I was saying, it wasn't really something to ask, but something to check."

"Check?" Andy looked at her, a bit of confusion on his face.

She shrugged and started turning red, "Life is full of possibilities, and I wanted to see if kissing you was something that I might want to pursue in the future."

Andy looked down at his feet and started to chuckle. He gazed up at her, still chuckling, and he nodded, "Well, what did you decide?"

"Life is full of possibilities, and I think we definitely owe it to each other to see how things in the future might play out. You never know," she gave him a small shrug and an almost flirty smile before she continued, "sometimes friendships can turn into something more. Kissing you just now, "she nodded, "we can work toward that, toward something more."

The End...

* * *

I liked ending with Sharon being a little forward with Andy. We didn't see that much on the show, not until she showed more affection in the last season. I envision her that way in their relationship, even if we didn't see it. Now, I know this would have been early (start of Season 3), but that's the fun with fanfiction. She's open to moving on right now, whatever that means down the road.


End file.
